


Take It From A Soldier

by Im_SwellxD



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Bed pinning, Cloud Strife Is a Good Bro, Cloud Strife Needs a Hug, Developing Relationship, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Flirty Zack Fair, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Hollow Bastion | Radiant Garden, Hollow Bastion | Radiant Garden Restoration Committee, House sharing, Injured Zack Fair, Leon is so done, M/M, Mother Hen Squall/Leon, Overworked Squall Leonhart, Parents Cloud and Leon (Kingdom Hearts), Past Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough, Pining, Puppy Zack Fair, Responsible Zack Fair, Romantic Fluff, Slow Build, Squall Leonhart being Squall Leonhart, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Zack Fair & Cloud Strife Friendship, Zack Fair Lives, Zack Fair Needs a Hug, Zack Fair can Cook
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-01-25 18:24:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 33,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21360691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Im_SwellxD/pseuds/Im_SwellxD
Summary: “Hey, Leon!” the call from the kid ninja had him flicking his gaze over his shoulder towards the door, “There’s a soldier guy with a huge-ass sword in the Bailey and Aerith says she and Cloud know him!” she explained loudly as she excitedly bounced through the threshold, Leon’s gaze following her beaming grin.----------The one where Leon has to babysit Zack Fair and they get closer than anyone expected.
Relationships: Zack Fair & Cloud Strife, Zack Fair/Leon (Kingdom Hearts), Zack Fair/Squall Leonhart
Comments: 26
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally a Leon S Kennedy/Leon Leonhart sex fic from my old FF.Net account in 2011/2012-ish, and due to how cringe it was, I decided to edit/rewrite the hell out of it. I hope you enjoy.

“It’d be one helluvan upgrade to our defences,” watching as his blonde companion mulled over the schematics on-screen, Leon nodded along with Cid’s muttering, thankful that they finally had a working improvement for further protection. It’d been a while since they made any progress on population safety rather than offence.

“All we need now are materials. Tron and you can handle that,” the brunette mentioned, already going over what would be needed in terms of resources and coding. He’d have to make a list of what they already had in the castles storage hanger’ it was filled with a lot that they could use.

“Hey, Leon!” the call from the kid ninja had him flicking his gaze over his shoulder towards the door, “There’s a soldier guy with a huge-ass sword in the Bailey and Aerith says she and Cloud know him!” she explained loudly as she excitedly bounced through the threshold, Leon’s gaze following her beaming grin.

“Are they coming here?” the man asked as he turned more towards her, arms crossing over his chest. It wouldn’t hurt to clean up a little in the meantime, the place had become a bit of a sty since they started working on their schematics. _Mostly Cid’s mess, mind you._

“Dude’s unconscious and Cloud’s not around. Aerith wants your help dragging him back here,” the ninja shrugged, the group having found it to be a regular occurrence that the blonde was rarely about anymore. Regardless of that, he _did_ show up when he was needed. The man seemingly had a sense for knowing when they required help or not.

“A’right, pretty boy. Let’s go,” at the overused nickname, Leon grunted under his breath, his brow twitching slightly in return as the blonde’s hand heavily landed on his shoulder. The two-headed towards the door, Yuffie stepping aside and following after them as they made their way out of the building and towards the Bailey.

Fortunately, there were _far less_ Heartless after Sora had been there, the brunette finding his eyes wandering along their surroundings with caution and a clearly alert posture. But as they strode up the steps to the Bailey and walked across the upper platform, they hadn’t come across any, not even the smaller, black creatures that appeared from the dark corners.

Upon stepping foot in the Bailey, he shrugged off the lack of Heartless and let his gaze fall to the surprising built man lying on the ground with his head cradled on Aerith’s lap, a massive weapon at his side. Yuffie hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d mentioned the sword being huge. _It was as tall as Leon, not that he would voice that._

“You know ‘im?” Cid questioned as they closed the distance, Leon crouching at the mans’ other side to look him over, minding the weapon as he leaned above it to look him over.

“Zack. He was a close friend of mine,” noting her tone, the former SEED lifted his gaze to the woman, concern clear in her expression. She was worried for him. Not that he blamed her; he seemed beaten up, bruises and scrapes marring his face and a large bloody gash just barely visible through the equally bloody midsection of his uniform.

“What’s with the sword?” the blonde continued, kneeling along the mans’ hips to peer at the gash in his torso. The grimace that left him wasn’t that far off how Leon felt about it. It appeared to be pretty nasty, definitely worth using a Cura on, probably one of the stronger spells, not that Aerith would mind. She’d favoured the stronger ones when a wound seemed as bad as this one.

“It’s called a Busterblade. It belonged to his mentor,” the woman replied after a moment, her hands focused on brushing the long, dark spikes above the unconscious mans’ forehead, “He gave it to him before he passed away,” though she hadn’t, it sounded as if she trailed off, falling into her thoughts while gazing down at the sleeping face.

Shifting slightly to lean his elbow against his knee, Leon lowered his own eyes to the pale features, “Use a Cura on him,” he requested, his eyes raising again to meet hers halfway, “It wouldn’t do him any good if we were to move him while he were injured,”

Having seemingly drawn her from her own mind, she slowly nodded before dropping her gaze back to him, her hands reluctantly leaving the mans’ face with her palms reaching out to be held over his chest. They hovered in place, a moment of silence passing between them as a green hue took over, a glow spreading throughout the space from the bright vines that shone between the womans’ hands and the mans’ body. It spread and spread, a lingering flash almost making Leon shield his eyes as it completely engulfed the figure before ever so slowly dimming and ebbing away.

Leaning back over the sword to inspect the man, the brunette let his gaze flicker from injury to injury. Though there were still blood and wounds here and there, none were life-threatening at first glance. The one that _had_ been was nowhere near as severe, leading him to believe that she’d focused on the most critical of injuries rather than each and every one of them. _A smart move._

Easing himself to stand, Leon lifted his sharp eyes to Cid, “Let’s get him back,” he nodded towards the Bailey gates, following the blondes’ lead as he shifted to the mans’ legs, the brunette carefully switching places with a reluctant Aerith. He slid his arms under the ravenettes, locking his grip on his wrist after his forearms rounded the mans’ wide chest.

“You got his arms?” Cid asked from ahead, taking a glance over his shoulder to see Leon nod in confirmation. They waited a few seconds, counting under their breaths, “And lift,” the blonde called, the two carefully easing up the dead weight of the soldier until they were in a good enough position to carry him safely.

“Damn, he’s heavy!” the blonde gritted out as he took the first few steps forward, Leon following behind. True to Cid’s words, the guy had some weight to him, not enough for the brunette to complain about carrying him, but enough that he could feel some strain in his arms while keeping him up.

“Must be all that muscle,” Yuffie commented as she caught up beside them, eyes fixed on the heavy body. Aerith was alongside them eventually, seeming a tad tired and he couldn’t see the sword as he glanced between the two girls.

“What about the blade?” he asked after a moment, tilting his head so that he could see the steps that led out of the Bailey rather than feel for them. He’d rather not trip in his current position. He, Zack _and_ Cid would go down.

“It’s too heavy for anyone that doesn’t have some kind of strength enhancement,” the female brunette informed with a light sigh, seemingly dejected, “I managed to drag it into one of the balconies, so it’s out of sight,” not dejected... simply tired, likely from attempting to move the weapon. _Leon could go back to retrieve it after they set the ravenette up in bed. It wouldn’t be that much of a hassle and even he could lift more than a regular person could._

Their pace slowed completely as they reached the stairs, Cid and Leon taking their time to be sure that neither would understep nor overstep, going as far as to sync their footfalls to reach the bottom with ease. Having almost tripped once at the very top, the brunette had become overly cautious on corners with steps, he stepped further out after they’d finally reached the bottom, minding everything around them, including the girls.

Upon seeing the Restoration Committee’s base come into view, the two gradually quickened their steps, Leon feeling more relief than he’d expected as they narrowed the distance between them and the building, the two being careful with the extra two steps up to the front door, the door that Yuffie quickly opened for them.

“Finally,” Cid groaned huskily, the two heading towards the bed and pausing for Aerith as she swiftly grabbed the few books that had been discarded on it. Once she’d finished, they manoeuvred the man up onto the sheets, his head on the pillow and body atop the thick comforter. He had made any reaction so far, no indication that he had been even the slightest bit aware or conscious, even after being healed. _Maybe he’d been knocked out rather than fell unconscious._

“Feels like I’ve been weightlifting,” the blonde grumbled as he rubbed his bicep and forearm muscles, flexing slightly and drawing an amused huff from Leon. The other did enough training for a platoon and yet he complained about carrying one man that happened to weigh a tad more than him.

Giving _Zack_ one last glance, Leon turned away and headed back towards the door, “I’ll be right back,” he mentioned as he stepped through the threshold, following the path he knew all too well back to the Bailey. He skipped a couple of steps per stride as he climbed the steps, turning the corner at the very top, and _still,_ no Heartless had appeared. _He was far too used to them hiding in every crevice to relax._

Upon re-entering the Bailey, Leon eyed the area, stepping around to the furthest balcony to the large blade propped awkwardly against the wall, uneven with its size and Aerith’s lack of strength compared to the wielder.

Reaching out for it, he gripped the hilt, getting a feel for it before he attempted to lift it the first time. And to his surprise, he really couldn’t, not like he could with his own. His second attempt, he used both hands and put some effort into it, his jaw clenching at the weight and strength he needed to force to actually get it off of the ground.

Tensing and bracing himself, he angled it until he could let it rest against his shoulder, immediately feeling it weigh him down with its tremendous mass. He had a sudden awe in the man that carried this blade, akin to the awe that he held for Cloud, who carried a sword just as massive and heavy. _Though it hadn’t surprised him. Aerith had informed him of Cloud fondness of large weaponry, having been given a massive one by his mentor before his death._ It seemed that heavy type blades were a common thing in their world.

By the time Leon made it back to their HQ, he was exhausted, his muscles on his upper right protesting and snapping at him for the strenuous use. Stepping back inside the building he backed up against the wall to set the blade down.

“Well, holy cow,” Cid greeted him, amused surprise crossing his features as his gaze landed on the brunette across the way. He sighed with a smirk and eyed the sword, making sure it wouldn’t fall before he reached out and shut the door.

“Thank you,” he heard Aerith call from beside the bed, Leon glancing over to see her smile falter, “I thought we would’ve had to call Cloud,” it really wavered after mentioning the blondes name, her eyes falling to the man in the bed, “I don’t think he’s ready to see him just yet. I don’t think he came to terms with Zack’s death the first time,” her words drew his attention, his brow creasing in realization. The mentor she’d mentioned before regarding Cloud, the large sword and her current wording of ‘Cloud coming to terms with Zack’s death’.

“This is his mentor,” he voiced, taking a few steps towards her until he stood at the head of the bed, looking over the headboard at the ravenette. He fit the vague description he had been given when they’d first talked about a man in their past. Black hair, sharp but soft features, pale and handsome, and a strong, well-built physique.

“Could you watch over him? And maybe patch him up a little?” registering her soft request, he turned to her, a brow quirking in a silent question as her smile ever so slowly returned to her gentle features, “Some Heartless were spotted near the slums,” she replied, gradually lifting herself from the stool just as Yuffie jumped him from behind, her arms wrapping around his neck and shoulder, “And I called dibs on her being my healer!”

Internally grumbling for being volunteered, he awkwardly turned around to face Cid, “Hey, don’t look at me,” he waved his arms to shrug Leon off, “I’m supposed to be working out what we need for our upgrades. Figured I’d go talk to Tron as soon as we were free,” the man informed.

“Alright,” he sighed in resignation, thinking that maybe he could get that list started while he babysits the unconscious man.


	2. Chapter 2

It almost felt as if they couldn’t have left fast enough, the girls leaving rather abruptly with Aerith’s longing gaze rarely leaving the ravenette and Cid had bolted just after, having grabbed tools and Usb’s to possibly copy over information that Tron gave him. That’d left Leon with _Zack,_ the stranger still lying lifelessly on the bed.

With a soft sigh, the brunette set his weapon down against the computer desk, crossing the room to retrieve the medical equipment in order to bandage the man. Aerith had asked him to patch him up, though he would have considered doing so either way, what with the state the stranger was in.

Meandering back towards the bed and setting the supplies on the stool, Leon lowered to the edge of the bed, going about unfastening the mans’ gear with expert hands, finding it easy to remove the clasps keeping the clothes together. Though the shirt, the former SEED had to cut apart so as not to move the stranger so much.

The mention of this man having muscle, it didn’t do him justice. Yes, he had muscle, but from what he could see, it was incredibly well-toned, proportionately perfect in where each were relaxed under lightly tanned, weather and training worn skin. _If you ignored the blood drying against it, you could see just how physically attractive the stranger was._ He could understand Aerith’s appeal to him.

Casually waving off his thoughts, Leon slipped the cut-up shirt out from under him, dropping it to the floor at his boots in order to trash later. Reaching out with a damp cloth, he began wiping down the blood from skin, being as gentle as possible so as to not make it worse. Next came wrapping the wound, setting gauze in place before carefully unwinding the thick and wide bandage around the mans’ waist, being sure to keep it tight but not enough to irritate any injuries.

He’d spent the longest time wrapping it around his torso, spending far less time on wrapping the wounds on his arms and placing a few large plasters on his chest to cover up more sword-like cuts. _Most having been somewhat healed by the Cura._ He didn’t feel all that comfortable with working any lower than he already had with his body, thinking that Aerith could simply heal the rest once she’d returned.

With a soft sigh, Leon pulled back, eyeing his handiwork and deeming it satisfactory. He wasn’t a doctor, but he knew the basic steps in first aid. Glancing towards what was left of the supplies sitting on the stool, he made a mental note to go and get more once the group got back. It wouldn’t do them any good to be low medical provisions in case they were a healer down.

Deciding to actually write it down so to not forget, Leon made to stand, easing himself up from the edge of the mattress. He’d been reaching out for the used supplies when he felt a tug on his waist, firm enough for him to drop back to the bed. Glancing over his shoulder, he noted the hand wrapped around one of his belts, his brow creasing tighter. _A subconscious reflex maybe?_

Reaching behind him, he gently gripped the gloved wrist, whatever he’d been planning to do stopped as his gaze had lifted to the strangers face to see bright blue eyes staring back at him. Leon sat there gazing in return, motionless while considering ways to remove the hand and not seem like a threat. He knew Cloud, having been in a similar situation before, Leon had been wounded by the blonde. _He’d rather not go through the same thing again-._

He was suddenly on his back being pressed into the comforter, a harsh grip on both his wrists with a weight holding his legs down at the thigh. Blinking in a mild daze, he glared up at the conscious face of the soldier, trying his hardest to not fight back or struggle against the punishing hold. The man wasn’t all there, he could see it in the fog glazing his abnormally bright irises.

“Where am I,” the tone and firmness used told him that it hadn’t simply been a question. The authority flowed from him like a stream, even with the clear disorientation.

“Hollow Bastian,” Leon replied evenly, eyeing him carefully. That fog grew in his strong stare, gradually seeming to take over with the grip on his arms wavering. Narrowing his gaze, the former SEED shifted just slightly, “Are you oka-,” before being able to finish, the weight above him drastically grew as the soldier heavily dropped against him, the bed lolling.

Experimentally flexing his forearm muscle, he felt the weak and loose hold on his wrists, Leon slipping them out from the grip to carefully reach for the strangers’ shoulders. Gently, he shifted their position, turning the man onto his back with the brunette almost straddling him so to have the leverage to keep from just dropping him.

Climbing from above the man, he wondered whether he’d actually heard him when he’d replied, hoping that his earlier cooperation, though as short as it was, had been registered. Fortunately, the situation hadn’t been as brutal as his encounter with a wounded and disoriented Cloud. _Though the hands around his wrists were gentle._

Rubbing his joints, Leon quickly stepped away, going about trashing the used medical supply wrappers, setting the rest aside. He wondered whether they had extra Curas here, thinking that he could use another on him now that he knew the stranger wasn’t comatose.

Letting his gaze fall over his shoulder towards the soldier, he watched him closely, turning back around to narrow the distance though keeping a few feet between them. If this had been the blondes mentor, he was uncertain whether or not this man still out-skilled his comrade or not. He’d admit that appearance said yes, in that he looked like he did. And the surprise attack on Leon only a few seconds ago, he’d have seen it coming if it were Cloud’s attack.

The man still being out, he cautiously inched closer, being overly conscious of the lack of distance between them. He hadn’t gotten any forewarning from Aerith, though maybe it went without saying that something like that would happen, considering who he happened to be. _Did that make Cloud a Zack-2.0?_

Shifting his gaze towards the very bottom of the bed, he lowered himself to it, eyes refocusing on the man as he did. He stared, posture and senses as sharp and alert as ever-.

His eyes grew wide at seeing a barely noticeable shift in the strangers' browline, something that he hadn’t expected from an _unconscious_ man. _He was awake._

Frowning heavily, Leon turned so that his back sat against the backboard at the base of the bed, arms crossing over his chest with a leg lifting to bend on the mattress. This stranger was good.

“I know you’re awake,” he muttered deeply, his tone guarded as he watched another twitch flick in his brow. It must have only been visible due to the disorientation. No way did a soldier like this or Cloud make it that obvious they were awake. And the bright blue eyes being revealed once more confirmed his deduction, still foggy and unfocused.

“Where am I?” the rough, gritty voice questioned, sounding far less intimidating than before. He simply sounded akin to an injured man. The inquiry made it clear that he also hadn’t registered the talk earlier.

“Hollow Bastian. We found you in the Bailey,” he stated, still with a guarded tone and his body tight with tension, regardless of the space between them and the seemingly threatless voice.

“We?” the stranger questioned, shifting slightly with his arms taking some weight while he moved. His head lifting and back being propped against the headrest of the bed, Leon refused to blink while watching him.

“Yuffie and Aerith,” _that_ seemed to catch his attention, bright blues darting up to return his analytical gaze, “She said you knew each other,” the look that spread across his face, she hadn’t been lying, not that he assumed she had been.

“Aerith? No way,” the ravenette beamed, his features and happiness glowing in contrast to Leon’s caution and shielded exterior, “Are you two friends?” _he reminded the former SEED of a happy puppy._

“We are. I’m Leon,” he relaxed just slightly, though still as guarded. He could see the purity in him, the lack of hostility that he had seen before.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Zack,” to think that this man had aggressively held him in place only moments ago, it was bizarre. Admittedly, he should have expected it what with his relation to Cloud, “So, where am I again?” the stranger smile uncertainly.

“Hollow Bastian. You’re in the Restoration Committee headquarters,” he could see that it meant nothing to him, why would it? He’d never been there. Eyeing the man, he watched the stranger turned over onto his side, letting his legs slip over the edge of the mattress to sit up completely.

It seemed to strain him, but the look about him told Leon to leave him to it.

“You the boss here?” the man asked with a smile, his eyes lifting to him. They seemed even brighter with the fog dissipating. The Mako that his blonde comrade had been exposed to, he reminded himself. From what he could recall, SOLDIERs were enhanced through Mako, the same thing that made Cloud so strong, fast, agile, etcetera.

“I am,” Leon replied calmly, feeling far more relaxed as it seemed as though he wouldn’t be attacked. The look that crossed the mans’ face had him narrowing his gaze, the calculation in his now sharp eyes before they landed on him again, the smile still strong.

“House rules,” _had he been considering the hierarchy in his current situation?_ With curiosity, Leon nodded, confirming the soldiers’ thoughts. It were as if he knew where he stood and simply made a statement to show his cooperation. The brunette felt relief thrum through his nerves-.

“He’s awake!” the sudden shout from a familiar voice had made him tense immediately from the shock-factor, his fists growing tight in surprise. He snapped his gaze towards the door, Yuffie’s beaming grin meeting him halfway. She had a few scrapes, though nothing major at first glance. _She seemed alright._

“Zack,” Aerith’s voice reached him, the woman stepping up behind the smaller girl with no injuries whatsoever, her smile radiant and warm as she came into view and stepped into the room. She gradually made her way to the ravenette, Leon watching as _Zack_ gradually stood.

“Aerith,” he greeted with one of his own smiles, the two sharing a quick hug while Leon made himself scarce across the other side of the room for his gunblade. He had a few things to do and now that the soldier had more company-.

“You shouldn’t be up!” Yuffie suddenly yelled, now at Leon’s side at pointing at the ravenette, “Why’d you let him get up?!” she swiftly turned on him, the brunette glancing between the girl and the other two, “He’s injured!” the ninja emphasised as if they hadn’t already established that earlier when they found him.

“Use another Cura on him,” the man shrugged with his suggestion, never breaking character as he reached for his weapon and latched it in place on his hip. Regardless of the lack of Heartless, he felt safe with it being there.

“Okay. Where are you going?” Aerith spoke up in return, her gaze, _as well as Zack’s,_ following the brunette as he headed towards the door, rounding the Ninja along the way.

“To see Cid about the materials we need. I still have work to do,” he stated while resting a hand against the open door, looking into the room at the others. Receiving nods from the two girls and a wave from the other brunette, Leon left the building, making his way along the path to the castle. _He didn’t want to intervene with a reunion like theirs, wanting to avoid feeling like an extra wheel._


	3. Chapter 3

It’d taken a few hours, but he’d finally managed to get through and note down all the materials within the castles storage rooms, Leon finding his mind filled with numbers and different metal and wood types along with different screws and bolts and broken machinery that could and couldn’t be used thanks to being either overused or rusted beyond repair. _Though most of the materials, a good 80 plus percent **could** be used._

With a deep sigh, Leon tiredly stretched and pocketed the notepad, recalling Cid passing by one of the rooms to inform him that he had the designs and would be calibrating them within his own computer. He had to give him the numbers before anything else could be done.

He turned away and headed towards the doors to the room, slipping outside and locking it before making his way out of the castle and between the walkway with the two tall walls on either side. Striding through the Bailey, tension still itched at his spine, with no Heartless in sight and no Nobodies closing in on him. It still felt strange to finally have this level of safety within Hollow Bastion.

Reaching out for the door to their headquarters, Leon nudged it open, stepping in to find only Cid typing at his desk, no Aerith, Yuffie or Zack in the room. Shrugging off the emptiness in the room, he headed towards the blonde.

“Here,” he waved the notepad in from of Cid, the mans’ typing being interrupted rather abruptly, but he didn’t seem at all agitated ones he realized that it had been Leon. Reaching out for it and flipping through the pages, he hummed.

“The materials?” the man glanced over his shoulder at the former SEED as the brunette set his weapon against the desk, disarming and crossing his arms of his chest casually. They could finally go about the building after the other skimmed through the list. From the screen, he could see that the design had been worked out and the number of supplies that would be needed, they have.

“Yeah. We have a lot more than I thought, I’d say about eighty-plus percent of it is usable,” he shrugged in return, eyeing the design on the computer, the diagram slowly spinning with numbers flashing here and there. From what he could remember, they had those numbers, the amount of metal that would be used for the plating on the defences, the bolts, screws, cogs. They had it all.

“More than I was expectin’, that’s for sure,” Cid commented as he flipped through page after page, nodding along with the numbers on each bullet-point.

“What’s for sure?” they heard Yuffie from behind them, Leon glancing over his shoulder towards her to see the three of them enter the building, her, Aerith _and_ Zack appearing in the threshold. The latter seemed much better physically, a smile on his face as he gave the two a wave, _though Cid was still staring at the pad._

“Stuff worth usin’ from the castle,” the blonde spoke up as he set it down and began typing in the materials they had to compare to what they needed, “Looks like we’ll have extra stuff left over after we upgrade the towns’ defences,” he’d mentioned, green numbers listed below the spinning design informing them that they definitely had enough with more for whatever else they could use them for.

“You seriously went through all of that junk?” Yuffie asked sarcastically, aware that Leon did, in fact, _go through all of that junk._ He had the mind to get work done, regardless of the amount. There’d been a lot, admittedly, but someone had to do it.

“Two rooms worth of it, yeah,” he replied casually, leaning against the desk while eyeing the screen to see what they had left. He reached for the notepad and his pen and began adding up what they would have left after the upgrades, wondering if more could be worked on afterwards.

“How are you still sane,” she huffed, walking towards the head of the bed to gracelessly sit there and stare at him as he and Cid continued working.

“Who said I was,” Leon scoffed drily, his gaze gravitating between the screen and the paper in hand, jotting down the numbers before the blonde switched the screen over to the building of the upgrades, the former SEED noting _that_ down as well.

“How’d the tour go?” the engineer asked distantly, simply filling the silence with conversation while they worked. Leon reached over the blonde, scrolling for more to note down, the next stage in the building.

“I enjoyed it. This place is pretty amazing, almost reminds me of home if it was more blue and grey,” the new arrival mentioned with a chuckle as he set his tall blade against the wall where Leon had placed it before.

“Hollow Bastion is a beauty, we could use your help if you’re willin’,” Cid continued, leaning back in his chair and spinning slightly with his arms crossed over his chest, turning until he was facing all of them, with Leon still taking note of the building stages.

“I am,” Zack replied, sounding as if he still had that smile on his face, “What d’you need from me?” taking a quick glance over his shoulder, he was indeed smiling, strong hands resting on his sturdy hips, looking more than ready to lend a helping hand.

“Your strength and speed,” Leon noted before returning his gaze to the screen, scrolling further for more information. Cid and Tron had really outdone themselves with the detail, anyone could follow this without mistake.

“You any good at plannin’ and strategizin’? said blonde asked, amusement thick in his accented tone. His chair creaked slightly under his weight as he leaned further back, hands lifting to entangle behind his head.

“Pretty good at all four of those,” the soldier replied with just a hint of smugness in his pure and complete confidence. They could use that along with his strength, speed and mind. Not a lot of people had as much confidence as they used to before the Heartless stole their worlds from them.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit too early to recruit him?” Aerith spoke up with concern, silence taking over for a moment, “Leon?” at his name, the brunette paused in his notes, turning to let his gaze fall to the woman, an indifferent mask covering his features. He eyed her, seeing her obvious worry, in that she didn’t want the man to be away from her side.

Sighing softly, Leon lifted his eyes to the taller man, giving him a blunt stare. This wasn’t a decision he could make. Physically, Zack was perfectly and could be put to work without any arguments, considering he had even stated his willingness only a few seconds ago. And he was a big boy, he could decide for himself. But Zack and Aerith were at odds; if Leon made the choice, one of them would feel let down.

“Talk it out,” he replied instead, turning back to the screen to continue taking notes. He didn’t want to be at odds with anyone and if he’d made one of the two decisions, he would be just that with one of them. _They needed the extra help,_ but he refused to lose his kinship with one of his Committee members, and he didn’t want to lose the extra help to simply keep one of his friends happy.

They needed to compromise and get over whatever issue that seemed to spring up from having offered Zack a place in the restoration of Hollow Bastion.

\----------

Hours had gone by with work finally getting done, detailed instructions were printed out and piled separately for each worker that felt willing to help with the upgrades, Leon and Cid being the ones to have the last say and confirmation over a job well done or not. The two would have a hand in helping alongside as well, showing them as well as explaining how the upgraded pieces would work.

All in all, the events that day had made progress and they could hand out the blueprints within the next few days. Leon felt rare elation upon taking note of how much they’d done that day, finally feeling as if they’d made headway.

Dropping gracefully in Cid’s chair, the blonde having gone back to the castle, Leon let his tense body relax some, leaning back in the chair enough for it to tilt, his head resting against the headrest with his arms loosely crossed over his chest. All the work had made him feel as if he could sleep easier after it, less pressure weighing on his shoulders and biting at his muscles.

He blinked towards the door as it was eased open, a tired-looking Zack stepping through the threshold with a heavy sigh before closing the door and setting his blade down again. He seemed distracted, Leon’s very subtle movements catching his attention as the seat creaked deafeningly in the silence.

The man eyed him for a moment, the brunette shifting until he was sat a tad more tautly in the seat, his guard returning gradually while alone with the stranger.

“Hey,” Zack forced a smile, Leon being aware that he had been with Aerith for most of the day after he’d requested that they sort themselves out rather than bring him into it to decide for them and risk losing a friend over wanting extra help or vice versa.

“Didn’t go well?” he asked casually, a leg crossing over the other while his crossed arms automatically tightened just a tad across his chest.

“Not really,” the other man replied, sighing again and openly showing his dejection, “She knows she can’t stop me when my mind’s made up, not a lot can, but she still tried,” it sounded as if he were speaking from experience, though it wouldn’t a stretch. He recalled Aerith mentioning it before that it was beyond difficult to persuade him out of doing something he’d already decided to do, “It turned into a one-sided argument with me not being able to say anything,” and that… was hard to believe. He’d never known Aerith to be someone that wouldn’t let another speak.

“I can help though!” the man quickly added with a smile, hyper-focused on Leon as he’d announced it. He gave the man a nod in acknowledgement, glad that it at least turned out that he could help. Hopefully, this meant that Aerith wouldn’t be at odds with the Committee.

“She’ll come around,” _he hoped,_ watching as Zack stepped around the piles of books and sat against the draws of the desk Leon sat at, sitting only a foot away from him on the ground with his back against the drawers.

“I hope so,” he grumbled softly, relaxing and dropping his head back against the edge of the desk, “D’you have any beds?” Leon quirked a brow at him, a silent question in the air, “Aerith showed me the housing plots and it reminded me that I don’t actually have a place to stay,” ah, they hadn’t talked about the houses yet, nor had they mentioned sleeping arrangements besides the headquarters bed, “Don’t want to get in the way by sleeping in here either,”

“A few houses are almost finished, three haven’t been claimed as of yet,” he informed simply, the almost finished buildings coming to mind and he could understand the mans’ concerns with sleeping in this building. It was a workplace, not a house at this point, “Have you been offered a temporary residence yet?” he tilted his head in question, Zack angling his gaze towards him.

“Like being offered the couch or something?” he counter-questioned, Leon nodding in return, “Even if _Aerith_ offered, I wouldn’t accept. I was raised in a sort of _girls and boys can’t sleep in the same room unless they’re married_ kind of household,” he chuckled, his terrible impression of a horrid, authoritative old woman being amusing enough to draw a smirk to _Leon’s_ lips.

“I have a couch if you want it,” he offered instead of commenting on the impression, deciding to force himself to relax. He needed to ease up and calm down and he thought that maybe this would help both of them. The man needed a place to sleep and he needed to get comfortable with his company.

“Really? Seriously?” the man abruptly pushed away from the drawers to turn completely around to face him while still sitting on the ground, a gleaming glint of excitement clear in his gaze. He really reminded him of a puppy.

“Not allergic to cats are you?” he asked as a way to distract _himself,_ attempting to change the look. It was admittedly… _endearing_ in a way.

“You have a cat?” Zack questioned with a smile and quirked brow, “Totally thought you were a dog person,” coincidence, as he was basically letting a _puppy_ into his house to stay for a while. It was as though he were taking in a stray for a time.

“You’ll have to fight him for the couch,” Leon shrugged, fully aware of the fact that the cat could be a pain when you were relaxed and lying on the couch. He could have him in his bedroom every night until Zack finally moved into one of the houses. It wouldn’t be that much of a hassle.

“Bring it,” he smirked confidently, that endearing glint returning and drawing a faint smirk to Leon’s own lips.


	4. Chapter 4

It’d gotten late by the time Leon had left the Committee headquarters with Zack in tow, having given everyone the rest of the day off before leaving himself. He’d taken the other man the quick route back, his own shortcut through the backdoor to Marlin’s house. He lived amongst the older houses that had been built around the same time as the sorcerers’, having restored them first before going about building new ones.

Cid, Cloud and Tifa had claimed one as well, directly across from him and one a ways down the street, the latter two having decided on sharing a house as Cloud gravitated between being on and off-world. They’d found it simpler to live together rather than the blonde have his own house and rarely be there to pay for it.

Stepping through his front door, Leon switched the lights on, the darkening hues outside barely getting a chance to shroud the room after the door had been opened. He headed through the living room, going about feeding his cat before doing anything else. Pouring a sachet of cat food into the bowl, he set it on the floor in the corner, eyes drifting towards Zack as he closed the door behind him, distractedly scanning the room with a quirked brow.

“Not very decorated, huh,” the man commented casually as he meandered further into the room, turning around as he eyed the space and gradually made his way to the couch. He didn’t seem bothered by the lack of personalization. _Not that it’d worry Leon if it did._

“I don’t get the time to,” the former SEED replied conversationally as he reached for the pillows on the sofa, setting them straight to make it that little bit neater, _regardless of the fact that his house was spotless and he rarely stayed there long enough to even make a mess,_ “Between restoring the town from dawn ‘til dusk and immediately going to bed as soon as I get back, I don’t have the chance to personalize it,”

“Workaholic much?” the ravenette chuckled in an attempt to tease him, turning away towards one of the walls to set his blade against it. Leon could probably make a rack for his Busterblade as he’d done for himself given a few minutes of peace.

“Keep talking and I’ll make sure you work overtime,” he retorted with an amused, breathy huff, watching him take more of the room in upon setting his blade aside. Being reminded of his own weapon, Leon unlatched it from his hip, taking a few steps towards his bedroom to place it within the room, just around the frame to place it on the rack behind the door.

“Now that’s just an abuse of power,” the ravenette scoffed, Leon returning to the room to see the coy glint in his features, his smirk wide on his lips as the soldier watched the brunette in return.

“House rules,” he reminded, admitting that not only was he relaxed around the man, he was entertained, much like how he’d felt when he’d first met Yuffie in Traverse Town and then Sora, Donald and Goofy.

“Damn it,” the man grumbled in a mutter, arms crossing loosely over his chest with his head swaying to the side. His feigned exasperation was then abruptly cut short as a realization seemingly came to mind, “Wait, if you work from dawn ‘til dusk and get to bed as soon as you’re done, what d’you do for food?” Zack questioned with a quirked brow.

“I eat instant meals a majority of the time if I eat at all,” speaking of food, Leon turned away to the kitchen, striding across the space towards the attached room. Rounding the island in the centre, he reached out for the fridge door, pulling it open to look inside. He still had a few instant meals, but not enough for the rest of the week now that there was an extra mouth.

“Seriously? What’s _A majority of the time_ for you?” the man asked as he stepped up behind him, Leon taking a glance over his shoulder to see him leaning against the island with his arms still crossed over his chest.

“If we’re talking dinner, I eat four to five times a week with snacks if I’m lucky,” it didn’t so much bother him. He could still work without eating for say two days. He tended to snack on a few things while out of the headquarters, buying something on his way to wherever he was going and if not, Cid would usually bring him something under Aeriths’ orders.

“You don’t eat enough,” the ravenette commented flatly, the former SEED closing the fridge door and standing from his crouch to return his gaze to the man, “What if I cook for you? I can get off work about an hour early to prepare food for when you’re done,” raising both brows in mild surprise, he hadn’t expected that kind of offer nor had he expected Zack to be able to cook _from what Aerith had said._

“You can cook?” he voiced his mental question, shifting his hips back to lean against the counter, his palms resting against the edges on either side of his waist. He saw the smirk return to the ravenettes’ lips, gradually stretching.

“Sure,” he shrugged, “Admittedly, I was always eating instant meals most of the time too,” he added with a hand reaching for the back of his neck, rubbing it with a guilty smile and knitted brow. _Talk about hypocritical. This felt like a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ scenario._

“I’ll think about it,” Leon replied after a moment, a small smile gracing his lips. He felt grateful for the offer, genuinely feeling some warmth flutter in his chest as the concern had been evident in his proposition.

“That’s all I ask,” the man shrugged, the brunette moving himself away from the counter to get himself a mug, grabbing one for Zack as well while he was at it.

“I can see why Aerith and Cloud speak so highly of your personality,” he mentioned conversationally, pushing down that warm feeling in his chest that he rarely ever felt anymore. The last time he’d felt anything like it had been years ago, during his time as a SEED.

“Oh yeah?” the man coyly asked from behind him, sounding far closer than he had originally been, “You guys’ are talking about me?” glancing over his shoulder, he was directly behind him now, still resting against the island, but only a foot or so away from him.

“You’ve been mentioned before by them. Cloud’s mentor and best friend, your honour and sense of justice, your kindness and warmth,” he shrugged in return as he lifted the sugar tub in a form of a question, getting a nod in return and two fingers, meaning two sugars.

“Falling in love with me, Lion?” Leon scoffed softly at the abrupt nickname, warmth rising to his skin while debating whether or not he’d given him the nickname from having seen his necklace or had just found a similarity between his name and the animals’.

“You wish,” he replied only slightly guardedly, not used to this kind of open flirtation or clear teasing. He was rarely ever teased unless it was Yuffie, but even then, this teasing was nothing like what he received from the ninja.

Upon stirring their mugs, he turned around, handing it to the ravenette while taking a sip from the scolding cup, the heat burning his lips, but he set it back down so coolly as if he hadn’t just burnt his mouth.

“I’ll get started on the cooking,” the man mentioned, still smiling as he placed his own on the island in the centre. Leon reached for his cup and stepped out of his way, giving him free roam of the space to get used to the layout. He headed out to the living room, setting his mug down on the coaster on the table beside the recliner.

“I’ll get the blankets for the couch ready,” he mentioned as he stepped away to the bedroom, meandering into the room and towards the closet. Crouching upon opening it, he riffled through the beddings, finding a warm duvet and pillow, and before leaving, he retrieved the covers for them. Climbing to his feet, he turned away and left the room with the blankets and pillow in his arms, eyeing the kitchen where the man had gone about cooking already while he set the stuff down on the couch.

“You actually found something that wasn’t an instant meal?” he joked as he unfolded the duvet and eased it into the grey duvet cover, being sure that it was even and spread out inside before folding it back up.

“I did. You don’t have much besides this, but we can always go to the market, right?” Zack mentioned over the sound of spitting and hissing meat, bacon wafting through to his living room. _He had no idea that he’d had any bacon._

“Tomorrow? The day after?” Leon asked, his eyes lifting to the soldier as he went about casing the pillow in the matching grey cover. Depending on how cold it would get soon, he could do with getting him a fleece blanket from his closet as well.

“I’d suggest tomorrow unless you want to eat an instant meal with a side of pan-cooked asparagus,” the man chuckled, the hissing sputtering for a moment before easing off. Leon huffed amusedly, setting the folded cased blanket and cased pillow on one side of the couch, done with the bedding.

“I don’t know, that sounds pretty nice,” the brunette replied with a smirk, hands lifting to rest on his hips in thought of what else he’d need to do. _Buying necessities for the other man would be something he’d add to a new list._

“Oh please, I’ll ruin you for all instant meals after you taste my cooking,” _that_ sounded better. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d had a home-cooked meal. _He didn’t count his own since what he’d made couldn’t be considered cooked._

“Maybe I should put you in the cooking department rather than the restoration department,” he teased somewhat as he turned around to retrieve his notepad from the coffee table, noting down items like toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and the like. Basic needs for hygiene.

“Could work both if you want,” the ravenette replied casually, the heat from the kitchen reaching the living room, the smell getting thicker and more appealing by the second. Leon set the notepad on top of the bedding with an underlined ‘To Buy List:’ written at the very top before he sat himself down on his seat, forcing himself to stay put rather than fuss with things that didn’t need fussing simply because his routine was messed with just slightly.

“I was joking, but it’s your decision,” Leon mentioned as he leaned back against his recliner, bringing a leg up until his heel just into the edge of his seat, a gloved hand lazily resting against his knee.

“How about I start restoration for a while and cook for you before I decide anything,” the hissing having stopped completely, Leons’ gaze fell to the kitchen where the man was setting everything out onto plates on the island, “You know, start easy,” their eyes locked for a moment, Zack shrugging with his suggestion as he set the pans in the sink to rinse.

“Restoration is anything but easy,” the brunette admitted without really realizing it. He watched as the soldier closed the distance between them, his plate being held out to him as the taller one stood only a few inches from him.

“That’s from a leader’s point of view,” the ravenette commented simply, the smile still clear on his face, and Leon stared up at him, his words having been registered, “You seem like the kind of guy that takes on a lot so others don’t have to,” he’d added upon noting what Leon could only assume was an expression showing his dubious stare.

“You’d be right,” the former SEED shifted uncomfortably, having not expected the man to already know where he stood and what he regularly did for others. _Cid had been the only one to really see it, but the blonde had always left him to it so to not mess with his ever solidifying routine and work process._

“Not to sound like a therapist, but maybe you should ease up on yourself. Have you ever had a burnout before? Because that’s what overworking yourself can lead to,” the soldier explained before taking his seat on the couch, already relaxed in the spot he’d chosen with his plate being perfectly balanced on the arm of the chair, “Not to tell you how to do your job or anything,” he shrugged, only then beginning to eat his own food.

If anything, it actually helped to hear the advice, regardless of how well he knew him, or not at all in this case. Either way, he felt some relief from his words, making him think that maybe he should give himself a break.


	5. Chapter 5

With a hefty inhale and yawn, Leon stirred, letting his body stretch out until his muscles and bones burned happily with the morning sun shining through the window and basking him in its glow. Groaning through his teeth, he let his lids ease apart, the brunette blinking away his sleepy haze before deciding to sit up and kick the blankets from his bare legs.

Another yawn parting his lips, he stood up from the bed and grabbed a clean, replica pair of clothes, underwear and all before gradually making his way towards the door between his bedroom and living room, opening it to step into the latter-.

Pausing in the threshold, his gaze fell to the sprawled out star-fished form on the couch, the blankets only covering his lower half while his arms hung over the arm of the sofa, blanketed legs over the other with clothes draped over the coffee table. _He was a mess…_

Shaking his head to shrug off the mess of a human, Leon turned towards the kitchen and entered door between the attached rooms, stepping in and wishing that he’d put a lock on the door. It wasn’t as if he’d had guests before and when he did, it was Cid, who knew not to bother him while in the bathroom.

With a tired sigh, he went about doing his business and began stripping out of his pjays, which consisted of a t-shirt and boxer shorts, and tossing them into the hamper before stepping into his clean clothes. He tucked in his shirt and headed towards the bathroom door, making a mental note to add a lock in his rare spare time.

Looking back towards the couch, he considered the fact that he couldn’t simply get dressed and leave for headquarters like he usually would, feeling as though it wouldn’t be right to just up and leave him there. Running a hand through his bangs, Leon headed towards the living room, eyeing the body on the sofa as he rounded the space between the head of the couch and his recliner, reaching for the thrown clothes.

Just as he did though, a hand was around his wrist, the grip tight and punishing, and once again, before he had a chance to retaliate or escape the hold, he was on his back, hand in a harsh hold above his head and against the arm of the sofa. The taller and firmer form towering above him, he saw the tired haze in Zack’s face, either having been woken up by Leon or was dreaming and just simply reacted due to the presence of another.

He stared up, trying hard to force his instincts back so as to not antagonize the other in his half-asleep state. It was a while before he even seemed to stir completely, lids parting further and mouth falling open upon seemingly registering the situation.

“Morning?” the ravenette greeted uncertainly, head tilting to the side in question much like a confused puppy, his bright eyes only furthering his comparison. He really did seem lost, Leon sighing while still tired himself and not bothering to even struggle under the other now that he had some awareness to his current state.

“Is there a way to turn this off? I don’t feel like having this happen a third time,” the brunette questioned rhetorically, nodding his head between them to gesture to their position. And the taller man only quirked his brow high on his forehead, blinking blankly, “The first time you woke up,” he mentioned flatly.

“The first time I woke up, you were at the bottom of the bed,” Zack replied, Leon feeling the grip on his wrists ease up before he finally let go of him, the taller man sitting back on his heels. It only then registered with the brunette that the ravenettes’ knees were between his own, keeping Leon’s apart in a position where his legs wouldn’t have leverage in their position.

“No I wasn’t,” the former SEED sighed softly, shifting his arms and lifting himself up onto his forearms, his shoulder-blades being pressed back against the pillow and arm of the couch.

“I don’t remember,” the soldier tilted his head further, Leon reminding himself of their first real encounter upon the man waking up. Exactly like this morning, he’d been stuck under him with a harsh grip on his limbs.

“I just got finished cleaning your wounds when you woke up and pinned me like this. It seemed automatic, like a reflex,” he explained from memory before turning over and climbing to his feet with ease. He didn’t want to be stuck under him again, not like that. The position felt odd and had brought back that warm flutter in his chest, _a mild fight or flight moment, he’d assumed at the time._

“Yeah, us SOLDIERS’ pick up really bad habits like that. Our impulse acts before our brains register,” the soldier seemed rather guilty at that, his expression changing to something akin to concern, his hand reaching to scratch the space behind his neck, “Sorry about that,” a forced smile appeared, that guilt seemingly affecting him.

“I’m not bothered by it,” Leon shrugged, unaware that he’d left himself just slightly open for the man to read between the lines and analyze him. He hadn’t noticed the look he received, the narrowing of bright blue eyes as thought took over, cogs turning under that head of dark hair.

“Spiky get you?” _Spiky?_ The former SEED quirked a brow, blinking blankly at him for a long moment. The other seemingly picking up on the confusion scoffed, “Cloud,” he’d clarified, his smile a little more real than before.

“Yeah, a few times. But it was usually when we walked into each other,” he recalled walking around the corner of the Bailey, heading towards the castle as Cloud was coming back, the brunette ending up against the wall with an over-cautious blonde holding in a painful grip, “He’s never pinned me to a bed or a couch,” he added with a subtle shrug before turning towards his bedroom, brushing off the memory along the way.

“Do I sense some disappointment in your tone?” the ravenette teased, Leon grumbling under his breath as he retrieved his shoes, weapon and jacket from around the corner of the door. He turned to give the man a flat stare, his mask returning quickly. The smirk on the soldiers’ lips though, it was clear that he knew that he was gradually getting under Leon’s skin. _Not that he would admit it out loud._

“I can hold you against a bed or couch if you really want me to,” it took a lot of effort to stay steel-faced at that comment, his brow very faintly twitching as the sentence supplied an image that he immediately metaphorically crushed under his boot.

“Not necessary,” he’d replied curtly while slipping into his boots and jacket, being as fast as possible without seeming bothered or in a rush to leave him there.

“Liar,” Zack retorted with a knowing tone as if he were speaking to someone in denial.

“Shut up, Fair,” Leon growled softly as he reached for his weapon and headed towards the door, not entirely realizing what he’d actually replied with until he reached for the handle and opened the door to leave.

“Love you too!” he heard from the threshold, the brunette grunting in return and almost tripping out the door if he hadn’t had most of his focus fixated on keeping his composure. He closed it behind him and practically rushed after that, leaving the soldier there alone.

One day… it hadn’t even been a full twenty-four hours since he’d appeared and the man had made him show a few different emotions that not even the committee had seen. _He, along with everyone else, believed that he COULDN’T blush and yet here he was, cheeks heating up from a simple conversation that hadn’t even lasted a minute before he’d left._

_Not only that, but the way he’d left could be seen as him running… damn it._

\----------

By the time he’d made it to headquarters, he’d calmed down completely, leaving him in his default state of seriousness and stoicism. Reaching out for the back door to Merlin’s house, he slipped inside, noting rush inside the building from the ninja as she whipped something out of Cid’s hand.

“Morning, Leon,” she beamed and ran towards the open front door, “Later, Leon,” and she was gone, Leon quirking a brow in question as he shut the door behind him and headed towards the blonde man to continue their work from the day before.

“Scrooge wanted help with fixin’ his freezer. Needed a diagram of the model,” he gestured over his shoulder towards the door before returning to his monitor, pressing a few buttons to bring up the schematics once more so that the two could look it over one last time before going about distributing the printed sheets to the willing workers.

“Good morning,” Leon heard from over his shoulder, the man glancing around to see Aerith’s smile greeting him, the woman seemingly uncomfortable as she shifted from foot to foot.

“Morning, Aerith,” the man replied in kind, a soft smile reaching his lips before letting his gaze return to the screen, arms crossing over his chest. He could still hear the shifting behind him, his focus severing between his job and friend.

“How’s Zack? Did he sleep alright?” blinking in question, he forced the work side of his brain to pause, turning around to face the woman. He felt as if he should help her before going about his duty, “I’d have offered but…” what with her rare nervousness, Leon knitted his brow. _Was she worried about that fact that she hadn’t invited Zack to sleep at her place?_

“I know, he explained,” he replied simply, a little unsure of the conversation. She’d never been all that concerned _to this level_ regarding a person. Though maybe it was due to it being Zack. But then he’d gauged their relationship as a past-tense rather than present. Maybe she still held those feelings for him?

“He’s helping with restoration?” Aerith question drew him from his thoughts, Leon noting that it sounded far more like a statement, aware that the soldier would be helping them.

“He is,” the brunette man confirmed, his head tilting just slightly in return, she seemed that much more nervous than before, giving him the impression that her concern with Zack’s living status hadn’t been her focus.

“Leon, I don’t… Zack, he’s…” _ah, he knew where her mind was._ A soft sigh left him, Leon’s shoulders relaxing some with a faint exasperation taking over his mind. The argument that she and Zack had resolved nothing, the soldier doing what he wanted despite Aerith’s wishes, she’d decided to talk with _him_ instead.

“I’m not going to be the middle man in anyone’s disagreements, Aerith. You know that,” he reminded swiftly, noting growing avoidance to look him in the face she’d done since the conversation started, “As I said before, talk it out,” she knew that he refused to get involved when it came to relationships, even less when the decision fell mostly to one side like it did.

“What if he gets hurt?” she then countered, her hands clasped together against her chest as worry grew on her face. It was the sound of a door being moved that drew everyone’s attention, Leon turning towards the back door to see Zack closing it.

“What if _you_ get hurt?” the ravenette shrugged with his rhetorical question as he stepped further into the room, “What if Leon gets hurt? Or Cid?” the man gestured between them, a grumble being heard at Leon’s side.

“Hey, don’t bring me into this!” the blonde argued swiftly, going about his work to make himself seem busy.

“You’re in the Committee to help others. Why can’t I?” the soldier continued, now standing at the womans’ side, staring down at her with a soft gaze, “Helping others is all I’ve ever wanted to do and all I’ve ever done. It’s who I am,” very subtly, his tone had hardened, showing his resolve and _need_ for what he wanted.

“Zack,” Aerith spoke quietly, sounding almost resigned but not quite, as if she were ready to try and argue with him but had refrained from doing so, “I’m going to see if Yuffie needs help,” she said instead, turning away slowly before heading towards the front door. She stepped out of the building, closing the door behind her.

This was hopeless. He’d never seen Aerith so against a decision that could help in their struggles, even less had he seen her leave an argument unfinished to continue it again. It seemed as if she hated not being able to win this verbal bicker between herself and the soldier.

“Seems as if you might _hafta_ get involved, pretty boy,” letting his gaze drift towards Cid, he clenched his jaw at the thought, not wanting the hassle, “Don’t want morale bein’ messed with because a couple of lovebirds are havin’ a squabble,” _… that was true, but still, this wasn’t his department. He’d made that very clear._

“Sorry about this, really,” Zack muttered softly beside him, Leon turning his gaze to the man to simply nod his acknowledgement. It seemed as though he couldn’t completely avoid this, despite it being something that should easily be worked out considering the two being as close as they appeared. _This was on the verge of Tifa’s possessiveness over Cloud._

“Stay put,” he ordered, gesturing to where the soldier was stood. Crossing the space to the front door, he opened it and stepped outside, closing it behind him before making his way towards the market. As he really had to get involved at this point, he wanted that to be his priority before putting the man to work.

And if this messed with the function of the group, he would really have to take on a harsh leadership role. He refused to let a past relationship ruin the committees’ ability to work. _His current position being a damn good example of it affecting the workplace._


	6. Chapter 6

Finding himself in the market, Leon glanced between each person as he gradually entered the area, looking for a small, black-haired ninja, a brunette woman or even a duck wearing a steam-pipe hat, hoping to see at least one of them so that he could be that closer to getting this over with. He wanted it settled as fast as possible and hopeful his involvement will make them realize how much of a hassle the two had made the situation.

He hadn’t seen them beside the freezer upon stepping into the area, but then he’d assumed that the freezer had been fixed. Yuffie had been great for engineering, Leon having even given her a place helping Cid after they’d realized her smarts in the subject.

Descending the steps into the market, he let his eyes scan his surroundings, finally finding the two standing at a vendor, the smaller of them gawking at whatever was on the table in front of her, a new worker by the looks of it.

Shrugging the vendor off, Leon headed for Aerith who stood beside the ninja, the woman having not noticed him yet. He reached out, tapping her shoulder to catch her attention, though she’d flinched, her blue eyes snapping to him in mild surprise.

“With me,” he motioned towards the stairs, not giving her a moment to protest or decide otherwise before he turned away and started walking. A few steps and he’d heard her boots falling in line behind him as the two headed back towards the house, passing by a few people along the way. Rounding the corner, the two headed directly for the front door, Leon making sure that she was still behind him, and sure enough, she hadn’t left him, a somewhat glum expression having crossed her features at some point.

Shaking it off, the brunette reached out for the door, nudging it open to see Zack sitting in their resident blondes’ seat, no one else occupying the space. The ravenette hummed in question and quickly rose to his feet upon seeing them, Leon refraining from raising a brow at him. _It wasn’t as if the seat were claimed._

“Where’s Cid?” the former SEED asked as he closed the door behind Aerith, the girl seemingly feeling awkward as she wouldn’t meet either of their eyes, Zack’s even less.

“He didn’t want to get dragged into it,” the man replied, arms casually crossing over his chest as he stepped closer to the two, appearing a tad tenser than before. He wouldn’t expect much else from anyone in the committee if they knew that he would be interfering with an issue he wasn’t fond of.

C_onsidering that Zack seemed to have already picked up on his character, he didn’t necessarily need to **know** him to understand his evident dislike for this._

With a nod, the three feel into silence, Leon glancing between them as if expecting the two to start talking through their issues. Only they didn’t, the brunette letting an audible sigh leave through his nose. _He’d already had enough of the situation._

Deciding to at least get started, Leon tightly crossed his arm, “My one rule regarding workplace relationships is that you keep personal and professional lives separate,” he began distantly with a solid tone, “When you’re working, keep it to yourselves before they affect everyone else. Do I make myself clear,” he asked rhetorically, his tone having gotten harder, leaving no room for arguments as he glanced between them, the two finally meeting his eyes, Aerith’s been far more nervous.

“Completely,” the woman replied softly before gradually turning towards him, “But we’re… not together anymore,” what with the way they acted, they fooled him along with everyone else rather easily.

“Haven’t been for a while. She didn’t like my job,” Zack added to the womans’ sentence, his words helping him understand that it was more to do with the work rather than anything else, the fact that the man had been in a dangerous profession, but then what they did _wasn’t_ as life-threatening.

“Then why are you two making this into a big deal,” Leon questioned grittily, his teeth on the verge of grinding with how frustrating this conversation had been growing to be. If they weren’t in a relationship, what was the harm? They made a scene out of nothing and had even gotten _him_ involved.

“I don’t want him to get hurt,” Leon glanced towards the woman, hiding his dubiousness behind his well-trained mask. A reason like that didn’t warrant this much of a hassle in accepting the soldier into their group. For that matter, it hardly seemed as though they _weren’t_ in some form of relationship what with her overprotective possessiveness one would have with a long-term partner.

“Pretty sure I’ve gotten worst wounds from working with SOLDIER, Aerith. This is just restoring, not fighting,” granted, there were times when fighting would be required, but those times were few and far between as of late thanks to Sora.

“I know,” Aerith muttered gently, her hands clasped loosely at the front of her skirt while the quiet returned, the two waiting for something more, “I don’t like seeing my friends get hurt. You died,” she reminded, Leon’s brows raising at that, mouth only just falling open by the time he quickly masked himself, composure being forced to return.

“Yeah, my bad,” the ravenette replied warily, his hand lifting to rub at the back and side of his neck while Leon simply stared at him, blinking blankly with well-concealed shock. The man had basically confirmed Aerith’s words for him in that he’d died. _He was lost on the matter._

“I’m sorry,” the woman spoke up, the former SEED’s attention being drawn to her sudden maturity, “It’s not my place to stop you,” her confidence gradually grew, her gaze lifting to the soldiers’, the man having a slight smile grace his lips in return.

“Does that mean you’re okay with this?” the ravenette asked, a smirk growing in place of the smile. The two seemed to be working it out slowly, the start of accepting the situation bringing relief to Leon and taking a fraction of the weight from his shoulders.

“No, but I will be,” she replied with promise, a smile returning to her own lips. Finally finding some results, the brunette male let a sigh slip from his chest. Finally, they could get back to work, _though just to be sure._

“Don’t let it happen again. I’d rather not get involved a second time,” the man spoke pointedly, glancing between the two with a hard stare that conveyed his previously irritable demeanour, arms still crossed over his chest as he took a step towards the computer, reaching for the clipboard that had been purposely placed in view upon walking into the room.

“We’re sorry,” Zack replied for the both of them, Aerith making a sound of affirmation to the apology. The brunette turned around to the two, the clipboard in hand as he handed it over to the woman in a pointed, silent statement that they needed to get back to work.

“The 3rd Sector needs tending to,” he informed simply, arms re-crossing while she eyed it over and watched as her smile grew across her face, appearing to be back to herself now that things had been sorted, _hopefully._

“Alright, I’ll take a few workers with me,” upon handing it back to the man, she abruptly turned away and headed towards the door, giving the two a wave before leaving the building. Thankfully, the situation felt easier, Leon praying that they were finished with the kerfuffle their connection had caused.

“Ready to help?” the brunette asked a tad rhetorically as he set the clipboard aside and headed towards the door, taking a glance over his shoulder towards the soldier just in time to see his smile stretch excitedly.

\----------

The moment they walked in through the front door to Leon’s home, he watched as the soldier slouched into the room and dropped gracelessly against the couch, knees spread, arms hanging limply at his sides, head lolled back against the upper cushions of the sofa with a loud, obnoxious groan leaving his chest.

“How can you do all of that daily?” the man complained deeply, voice rough with exhaustion. He rolled his head further back against the pillows, getting heavier and heavier on the sofa the more he relaxed, “I’m legitimately dripping with sweat,” at the confession, Leon frowned at the fact that he hadn’t thought about his lack of cleanliness before sitting.

“Then get off the couch and shower. I don’t want your sweat seeping into my cushions,” the brunette grumbled before thwacking him with the stack of defence-upgrade manuals, gaining an ‘ooof’ from the man still sitting there.

“That sounded dirty,” removing the papers from his face, it revealed a devilish smirk tugged further to one side of the soldiers face, his brow quirked, “Am I rubbing off on you?” if anything sounded lude, it was _that_ comment, and the ravenette knew it.

“What _I_ said was perfectly innocent compared to what _you_ just said,” he voiced his thoughts as he stepped away and set the paper on the dining table along with the grocery bags before slipping out of his jacket, “Get up and shower,” Leon continued, dropping his jacket in his recliner.

“That eager to see me naked?” the other man asked with a leering tone, the brunette glancing around to see that he had the look on his face as well as leaned forward to push himself to his feet. He noted how the soldier closed the distance between them, almost towering the former SEED and purposefully getting close.

“Shut up and shower,” he replied guardedly, his temple shifting slightly with the clenching of his jaw. It was beyond him that the man could change demeanours so abruptly depending on which way the conversation directed itself from a simple comment.

“That wasn’t a no,” the soldier replied, stopping directly in front of him, only a few inches to a foot between them, the ravenette only then passing by, brushing his hip on the around him while making his way towards the bathroom.

He waited until he heard the door and then glanced around to be sure that he’d closed it behind him before Leon quietly groaned to himself, dropping into his recliner and leaning forward against his knees, elbow digging into the caps with his hands covering his face. He’d been putting in the effort to keep the warmth from rising to his cheeks at his comments, the pure straightforwardness and weight in his open flirting having gotten under his skin just slightly.

It hadn’t helped that the teasing regarding him wanting to see him naked hadn’t helped. _Not that he wanted to,_ it was more the fact that saying it had him imagining it for a split second before he’d cut the thoughts off. And when the man had been standing a few inches from him, the warmth that radiated-

Leon hissed and rubbed his face with his gloved hands, body tight with tension from both the flirtation and his own thoughts. _He had more discipline than this, damn it. He was a warrior, a trained fighter and group leader, not a damn teenager._

Grumbling to himself, Leon roughly combed his hands through his hair, pulling at strands to distract him from his self-embarrassment. He forced himself to his feet and headed towards the dining table, grabbing the grocery bags along his way to the kitchen. Setting them down on the island, he went about unpacking them, needing something to do until the man was done with his shower before Leon swapped places with the ravenette. _He was just as sweaty, if not slightly less due to being used to that kind of work._

Which reminded him that he’d worked it out so that the soldier would be working with _him_ for the next few weeks while they went about installing the upgrades. A heavy, exasperated sigh left him, realizing he’d doomed himself.


	7. Chapter 7

A few days passing by so fast, the former SEED barely had time to note down the amount of progress they’d made, everything moving so smoothly and without issue that there hadn’t been a need to postpone or note a delay in any improvements. It helped that Leon had taken the time away from his breaks to really invest himself, to make sure that everything was really in order. _Granted, they still had a ways to go, but there had been a lot of progress._

Lying awake that night, warm from having swiftly climbed into bed after towelling himself dry from his shower, Leon found himself staring up at his ceiling, the faint glow from the moon peeking through the window above his bed. He felt restless, mind whirring and hyperactive with questions and results that could help better the town and better the people, keep their moods upbeat and positive.

The people, his committee, visitors and new arrivals. He had ideas to keep them content, to enlighten their world. Enlighten his own as well if they worked out. Though in truth, he’d felt a fraction of that from having the soldier there. The helping hand had really been a blessing.

The man could lift far more than expected, rarely complained when they were elbow deep, he kept the motivation high and even brightened peoples’ day. Spirits were never low when the man turned the corner. He’d helped a great deal and he was well-liked, something that drew a soft, unnoticeable smile to the former SEEDs’ lips. Zack had made quite the impression and impact on the town, and even on Leon.

_The open flirtation, he could have done without, but the man being there wasn’t an unwelcomed feeling. In truth, he’d brightened Leon’s day regularly as well, even boosting HIS motivation, which had been unexpected. His motivations had already been high, to begin with._

Still staring up at the ceiling, Leon sighed softly, mind still buzzing with so much thought and activity. He turned over onto his side, eyes locking with the clock and grumbling quietly at the fact that it was well into the very early morning, too early for everyone to wake up and get to work and too late to _still_ be working.

The man pushed himself up into a sitting position, legs being eased over the edge of the bed. What was another night without much sleep? He could easily take a nap later in the day during a break if needed.

Swiftly changing from his boxer shorts and t-shirt into his daily gear, Leon turned towards his bedroom door and silently stepped out, reaching for his weapon along the way and latching it to his hip. He made his way to the kitchen, eyes focusing on the couch and his path so that he wouldn’t wake the soldier.

Reaching for a pen and sticky-note pad, he scribbled a few short sentences informing him that he’d left early and to contact Cid if he needed anything, going as far as to write the blondes cell-phone number down along with his own before pulling the piece of paper from the stack. He set everything aside and quietly headed for the couch, noting the usual sprawled out position.

Knowing better, he didn’t get too close, keeping a good distance so that he didn’t get pinned again. He stuck the note to the table beside the mans’ supper plate in the open before rounding the sofa with his gaze still on the soldier. Leon wasn’t foolish enough to think that he didn’t know the brunettes’ presence was there. He’d figured that even while unconscious, someone with the man's training could feel others there. Them waking up simply depended on the atmosphere the person gave off and the level of trust one had in the other.

Heading for the front door, he silently and slowly opened it, taking another glance over his shoulder before slipping out of the building and closing the door behind him, being sure that it clicked shut with complete silence. Stepping away, the man turned and headed for the first Defence system manager, that being in Sector-1.

The nearest one would be in Sector-4, but having a fondness for organization, he felt it best to start from the beginning and work his way through, wanting to keep an easier order of which ones he’d worked on. _And considering he’d be awake for the rest of the night through to the day, he’d probably get through all of them by late evening._

Having an idea of what he was in for, Leon swiftly made his trek to the device, his pace speeding up just slightly. He could probably get through them one after another before being able to take a nap. It wouldn’t do him any good if he were to keep working while already tired.

\----------

So a minor setback, but only with one of the Defence Systems. Leon had been making his way through them by number, working diligently and efficiently up until he’d begun on Sector-5’s mother-board, going through the system that managed the defences. He’d found an error in the coding, a simple one from what he could tell but regardless of size, it did a number on the schematics. Whoever had managed this one after Leon and Cid continued on had created a problem.

A problem that the brunette had to work through and even explain to the one that had to watch the system. He’d spent far longer on it than intended, Leon barely aware of the time as the sun had risen and heated the town. It wasn’t too hot, but with what he had to work with, he’d had to take his jacket and shirt off due to the sweat, leaving him in his regular jeans, boots and now a vest, scarred arms bared.

Wiping away the beads slowly running down his face, the former SEED grumbled to himself, having to rewire the coding box so that he could even _attempt_ to fix the coding itself. They had reinforced measures for if someone attempted to tamper with their defences and since Cid had the keys to open the code system, Leon had to work manually. _A lot of physical work was in order to open it by hand._

“You look pretty hot,” the soldiers’ voice sounded behind him, Leon taking a glance over his shoulder to see the man sauntering along the path and slowing down as he neared, “You look like you’re over-heating too,” speaking of _heating,_ warm fluttered in his chest again from his comments, the brunette shaking his head.

“Funny,” he replied with an amused huff before turning his _faintly unfocused_ gaze to the machine's wires, “Where’s Cid?” it’d be far easier to get this done if he’d had the keys. And he’d gain fewer sparks that burned his skin from the coursing static too.

“Scrooge’s freezer was acting up again and he wanted a professionals’ help instead of the ninja this time,” Zack informed as he crouched beside him, his massive blade being set against the wall beforehand. Again, the man didn’t seem to take note of the proximity between them, the brunette able to feel him every so often as they brushed.

“He needs to get a new freezer,” Leon commented blandly, voice grittier than usual due to his tiredness and overworking himself. He didn’t so much regret getting up and working so early, only that he’d decided to fix the coding himself. It was a two-man job and he’d exhausted himself simply getting the code-box open.

“Hey, you okay? You don’t look so good,” _it clearly hadn’t gone unnoticed either._ Without pausing or appearing to register the first part of his question, Leon smirked.

“Not what you said a second ago,” he teased in return, ignoring the fact that he was tired and very slowly losing focus in order to get this done. He had more to look through, though thankfully only three more after the fifth sector. _Not including the master-board within the castle._

“No, seriously,” Leon flinched when he saw the gloved hand in front of his face, the warm leather brushing his skin as his jaw-line and cheeks were cupped, forcing his head to change direction. He was then staring at the soldier, blinking rapidly with his hearts pace speeding up just slightly, “Focus on me,” Zack requested softly, warm breath ghosting his skin with mere inches between them.

“I feel fine,” Leon replied, his tone uneven and deeper, grittier again from his mind deciding to note the lack of distance, heated fluttering building gradually in his chest and spreading, palms feeling too hot in his own gloves.

“Uh huh,” the soldier replied distractedly, his bright blue eyes flickering between Leon’s as he seemed to get closer and closer, breath getting warmer while his very subtly got faster, “When did you write that note this morning?” the ravenette asked as he lifted a finger and waved it in front of him, the former SEED following the digit without moving.

“Around 3:24 am, why?” Leon questioned with a slightly breathier voice, swallowing his embarrassment down as he’d seen a very quick glint pass through the mans’ gaze, the brunette being afraid that the other had noticed.

“Take a break,” Zack replied with instead, the hands slowly leaving the brunettes face while the other moved to sit back against the wall directly between his blade and the machine Leon continued to work on, hands returning to their busied status.

“This needs to get done,” he stated firmly, his fogging gaze going back to the wires and finally having the chance to recompose himself after that moment. His heart still hammered in his chest, the hot fluttering making him feel that much hotter.

“You’d pass out before you get a chance to even recode it,” Zack commented sternly, his brow creasing in something between concern and authority, _probably habit when talking to his lesser from his world whenever they overworked themselves,_ “You’re exhausted, man,” he added softly, Leon meeting his gaze again for a brief moment, the sincerity and gentleness making him falter for a moment.

“I’m used to it,” he shrugged, another spark hitting his arm and drawing a wince from him, a little sharp pain that he ignored for the most part and continued on, along with ignoring the strain in his body that told him that he shouldn’t actually be working on this while as unfocused as his gaze was.

“Being _this_ tired while working? Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. You look like you’re about to collapse and I doubt that the guys from the committee let you get this exhausted before they let you know you’ve overworked yourself,” Zack scoffed in disbelief, Leon’s wavering stare being directed towards the other man. He didn’t let them _see_ him in this state, that being the reason they never had to tell him he was overworking himself.

“Remember when I talked about you having a burnout? You’re on the verge of that,” the soldier clarified pointedly, Leon gradually becoming exasperated and irritated with the constant talk about him. He could look after himself. He didn’t need a baby-sitter.

“Zack,” he started, pausing in what he was doing to give the man as much attention as he could muster in his current state, “I’m perfectly capable of-,”

“Take a break,” the soldier cut in firmly, the brunette noting the stern stare he had been given in return, stopping him from continuing with his words. There was a seriousness to him that he hadn’t completely seen and it sent a warm shudder through his chest, “Go home and get some rest before you end up in a worse state,” the tone, he hadn’t heard it from Zack before, admittedly, he hadn’t heard him with any form of serious tone at all up until then.

He continued his staring, not liking the idea of not finishing what he’d been doing and leaving it as is for someone else to work on. He’d never enjoyed it. He had the resolve to finish what he’d started, not stopping halfway or any time before the job was done.

As a sign of his rare show of stubbornness, Leon backed up from the machine and sat himself back against the other wall, arms crossing over his chest with his wavering stare still aimed at the other man.

“Remove the exterior black wire and replace it with the silver one before typing in the start-up sequence. You can then access the circuit-board behind the cooling fan,” he instructed flatly, not moving from his position as he gestured towards what he’d been working on.

“Leon,” the soldier sighed softly, his posture slouching. The brunette refused to admit that he’d felt the warmth return in a flurry in his stomach from hearing his name on the mans’ tongue, the mild exasperation making it slightly breathy.

“Zack,” he countered, his tone being just a tad gentler than before, a hidden ‘please’ silent in his sentence, “I’m not going to leave until this is done,” he forewarned, watching as the soldier huffed, temples shifting as his teeth gritted together behind his lips.

“Stubborn jackass,” Zack finally spoke, grumbling to himself as he slowly got to his feet and moved to sit where Leon had been, the brunette gradually and tiredly shifting until could see both Zack and his hands, “What was it? Replace the black with the silver?” Leon nodded, his eyes faltering a tad more than before.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to have a POV change for a chapter.

He was strong, in mind, body and soul. He’d met strength before, _real_ strength and he hadn’t wavered under their scrutiny or faltered under the power their gaze gave off. But with Leon, he almost did. Those eyes made him second guess himself, the strength they held, the warm that laced it like smooth silk that had been sitting in front of a smouldering fire. _Recently, he’d been noticing just how weak his knees would get when those warm irises landed on him, how easy he’d give in to whatever he wanted or asked for._

Like the recoding job…

He’d seen the lack of strength, the exhaustion and the burnout that had hit him, the same one he’d warned him about before. He’d really looked as though he were about to just drop right there and then, vibrating with tire and unable to concentrate to the point that his eyes were flickering, pupils inflaming and dilating all over the place, the decolouration in the skin around his eyes and the clear sluggishness that was way too obvious to ignore.

Having convinced him to drop the job and actually rest, he should have expected that the brunette had to be the stubborn one and want it done before letting himself take a break. And Zack had helped just so he could. He’d have felt lousy and useless if he hadn’t given a helping hand.

_He refused to admit that he’d given in that easy simply because of those eyes and that stellarly strong personality. _Zack obviously admired the man, it was respect… He respected a person like him. _THAT_ was why he gave in without much of fight. It wasn’t those… darker blue eyes.

Internally booting himself out of his distracting thoughts, he followed the brunette into the house, eyes drifting towards the mans’ hips as they swayed just perfectly. _Again,_ he forced himself from his own mind, letting his mouth open wide with a yawn as he kicked the door closed and strode further into the room.

“I can safely state that you’re a pain in the ass when it comes to finishing what you start, especially when you’re supposed to be resting,” Zack mentioned tiredly as he rested his waist back against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed loosely over his chest as he eyed the brunette across the way. He still seemed pretty out of it, despite the soldier having not let him do anything but sit there while they fixed the thingy.

“You think you’re _safe_ after calling me that?” the ravenette blinked, processing the statement. _Crap._ He clenched his jaw, a little worry building in his veins. The man was still pretty hard to gauge, his personality being something he hadn’t really come across. He seemed to switch from time to time, from serious to sarcastic to humorous to drop-dead gorgeous to burning with controlled anger. He was a walking whiplash.

“Uh,” he started dumbly, body tense, “What I mean is…” he trailed off, not finding the words to save himself if the other man had actually been serious in that Zack was screwed due to his choice of words. _But then Leon sighed with an exhausted smirk._

“I know what you mean. You’re not the first person to see the downside to that particular trait of mine,” the brunette muttered more than explained, almost as if he were reluctant to actually confess that, “Cid helped me out every other time when it got bad,” he breathed out, appearing to just give in to the course the conversation took.

“How’d he help?” Zack asked with a tilt of his head, the soldier finally reaching out to start cooking. They hadn’t long got back and thanks to having fixed that code thing early, he’d managed to convince the other man to take the rest of the day off. _Though he doubted it would have impacted the schedule much since it was almost that time anyway._

“Forced me to sleep and eat. Wouldn’t let me work the next day,” the other man shrugged, Zack noting that he’d gotten closer and was leaning against the island, “Unlike you, he stopped whatever we were doing entirely so it wouldn’t get finished until I got back to work,” _he ‘stubborned’ Zack into finishing it when they didn’t actually have to?! _He needed to get pointers from the old man, maybe learn a few things for if it happened again.

“So I basically enabled you back there by getting it finished,” the soldier huffed with a feigned frown, going about setting up the omelette pan and getting the eggs and cheese, “No more of that,” he pointed at the other man, eggs in hand and directed at him like he was actually pointing him with the uncooked food, “You sit and eat, and then you’re going to bed,” he gestured to the door before abruptly turning around and starting to cook, still feeling the brunette behind him.

“Siiiiiit,” he ordered lazily, hearing the faint sigh from over his shoulder before the sound of boots gradually walking away reached his ears, the nuance of seat springs creaking following. _Was it weird that he felt pride from the fact that stubborn man had listened to him? Was it some kind of achievement to get him to listen?_

\----------

They’d spent a while eating, the two sharing short conversation here and there between mouthfuls of food and coffee, _to which Zack had argued against Leon having since it would only wake him up._ The man needed sleep and the caffeine would only fuel him and overtire him to the point that sleep would be a pain to get.

Standing up from the couch, the soldier reached for the used dishes, the two having finished within a few minutes of each other. He headed over to the sink, setting the plates and cups, _minus his,_ in the small tub for rinsing and washing later on. He wanted to be sure that Leon was asleep before he used the water. He’d found out pretty early that the sink tended to make a little noise, but he’d been assured that once the other was asleep, nothing outside of his room woke him up unless the nuance didn’t sound right.

“Thanks,” blinking out of his thoughts, Zack glanced over his shoulder, noting that Leon was standing behind the island, arms crossed with a soft expression on his face. _An expression that definitely suited him and made him seem that much younger,_ “For today,” the brunette clarified, Zack, _again,_ being brought out of his thoughts.

“What good am I if I can’t help even you,” he joked, a grin spreading across his face as he turned around and closed the distance between them, hip resting against the counter corner, only a foot from the brunette, “Does this make me your hero?” Zack teased lightly, a hand resting against the flat of the counter, fingers curved over the edge close to the other.

He saw the way he appeared to clam up, as if forcing himself to stay quiet. A smirk grew across the soldiers’ lips, his gaze growing softer as he leaned that much closer. He’d been testing his limits with him since the start, finding the line and walking it to figure out just how far he could go, but then… _Having been testing that fine line, he hadn’t expected to enjoy the reactions in a completely different way._

“Leon?” he asked gently, the name practically a purr on his tongue, deep and soft with his tone. And there was that reaction, the twitch, the _very_ subtle intake of air that he could consider something like a gasp. He’d steeled himself and Zack enjoyed the fact that he affected this person in particular.

“Yeah, it does,” the brunette answered, the ravenette seeing the warm tint to his cheeks before the other man forced it away. He was an open book for him, he could read the complicated ones like a kid could read a book with huge letters.

Zack took a breath and shifted that little bit closer, gazing down at Leon with his bright blues. They were side by side at that point, the taller mans’ nerves urging him from under his skin, warmth building in his chest and spreading everywhere within him.

He swallowed, a hand slowly reaching up to the brunette and he saw the soft flinch. But he didn’t back away, Zack watched as Leon stayed put, eyes still tiredly focused and fixated on the soldier. Gravitating closer, the ravenette let his gloved hand brush the mans’ skin, cupping the others’ jaw-line.

“Leon, can I…” he began to ask, his tone as soft and as deep as an actual purr.

The rest of his sentence was then cut off by the loud banging on the door, Zack’s mouth snapping shut with a frown growing on his face, the ravenette noticing something similar on the other mans’ face as it just got louder.

_“Hey, open up,”_ Cid’s voice muffled through the door, Zack grumbling softly while the hard knuckles continued to rap on the thick, wooden door, “I know you’re in there, boys,” the soldier huffed, reluctantly forcing himself to straightened up, hand _very reluctantly_ leaving the brunettes’ face. _This would be continued! … he hoped._

His gaze followed Leon with something akin to longing, -not that he would admit it out loud-, as he headed towards the door, far more sluggishly than before. He mildly worried that maybe he would drop at any moment. He’d been pretty tired, even more so after getting back and having to force himself to eat.

“Sorry to bother you two, but my plumbing’s actin’ up again,” the blonde spoke upon the door being opened, seeming as casual as ever while leaning against the outer doorframe. Zack stepped around the kitchen counter, giving Cid a wave and being given a wink in return before removing his gloves and starting to rinse the plates, deciding that washing them while the brunette spoke would be smart thinking.

“Can’t fix it with what you have this time?” he heard Leon reply, giving Zack the impression that the plumbing was an issue with the older buildings. If so, he could probably help there. He’d been helpful in his landlords’ building back in Midgar before he’d been promoted to 2nd Class.

“Nope,” the blonde popped the ‘P’ in his sentence, the sound of heavy boots stepping over the wooden floor catching his attention, the soldier assuming the man had walked in. Quirking a brow in question, Zack glanced over his shoulder towards the man, “If you don’t mind, I’ll shack up here for the night and get it workin’ tomorrow,” the brow rose higher, noting that Leon seemed _ far more_ exasperated, “You can sleep with the pretty boy, if you don’t mind sharin’ a bed, that is,” the blonde directed towards the ravenette.

“Uuuh,” he replied lamely, glancing towards Leon. He appeared resigned for the most part, unwilling to argue. But then he didn’t seem bothered by the volunteering to sleep in the same bed.

“Weren’t you Shinra SOLDIERs’ fine with it? Used to share bedrooms of six or something, didn’t you?” Cid’s rhetorical questions drew him back, Zack flicking the water from his hands after setting the dishes aside.

“Before we made 2nd Class and 1st, yeah,” the man shrugged with his reply. It’d been a nightmare at first, trying to find his place among the other cadets that made it and were on the list for duty. Funnily enough, Zack had been a favourite and tended to head the plans when they weren’t on the job, “And it was bunk rooms of eight, not six,” he corrected with a smirk.

“And I’d bet sleepin’ with _him_ wouldn’t be nearly as bad,” Zack had to _really restrain_ himself from commenting with anything his mind supplied. Because he would have _loved_ to sleep with the man, given the chance. The images that came with his perversity definitely didn’t help in his efforts to keep his mouth from spouting any of it.

“Never said I minded sharing a bed,” he cleared his throat, taking pride in the fact that his voice stayed perfectly even, going as far as to mentally pat himself on the back with a ‘way ta go’ being voiced by his inner ego.

“Well a’right, good,” the blonde guy clapped, abruptly turning and rounding the couch to take his place where Zack had been sitting before, “So, what you two been doin’ for fun?” the man grinned from over the back of the sofa, Zack and Leon sharing a quick look.


	9. Chapter 9

“Sorry about this,” glancing over his shoulder with a questioning hum, Zack was ill-prepared to see the half-naked Leon slipping into his bed shirt, unaware that the soldiers’ eyes focused on every piece of skin that was exposed, “He does it from time to time,” he’d still been staring, unable to look away for the most part as the man bent over just slightly to grab and fold his clothes.

“Break his plumbing?” Zack asked with a just barely audible crack in his voice, doing well to keep his tone as even as possible. He’d have to give himself a medal at some point. This would be a challenge.

“Spend the night. Since Yuffie moved out, he’s gotten lonely at his place,” the brunette mentioned, the soldier managing to pull himself together before the other turned around to climb into bed, sitting down on the edge and then slipping under the covers.

“I really don’t mind,” _He did… at that moment, he definitely did._ Taking a breath, Zack gracefully climbed into the bed after him, grateful that the man had a double bed and that there was space between them as he drew the covers up over his baggy pjay pants. _Courtesy of Cloud. Apparently, Cid hadn’t been the only one to sleep over from time to time._

“Don’t pin me in the morning,” the brunette requested flatly after a few seconds, drawing a snort from the soldier and reminding him of the moment he’d had him pinned to the couch. He still couldn’t completely recall the time in the committee headquarters, no matter how hard he’d tried after being told.

“Not making any promises,” Zack replied flippantly, a smile gracing his lips as he turned over onto his side to face the wall, his back to the brunette. He had the feeling that If he’d faced the man, he’d be unable to look away.

“Earlier…” Leon croaked in the dark, the soldier making a sound of question as he let his eyes close and let his smile ease with tire, “What were you going to ask me?” his lids abruptly opened, gawking at the wall, Zack cleared his throat softly. At that moment, he remembered all that warmth, all that want. He’d had the courage to at least try.

“It’s nothing,” he internally grimaced, he didn’t have the courage he’d had at the time. A sound of exhausted acknowledgement was heard from behind him, Zack taking a quiet breath before curling up on his side of the bed, feeling a little bad that he’d completely backed out at the last second thanks to Cid’s arrival, “G’night,” _He could’ve just kissed him before Leon went to answer the door…_

\----------

Something made him stir, something warm, some kind of pressure on his neck and shoulder-blade,“-ack,” the soldier grumbled incoherently, attempting to bury his face in even more warmth and feeling that pressure grow, something moving under him, “Zack,” another grumbled left his mouth, a sigh of satisfaction leaving through his nose when he found a comfortable position with his face cradled into a sort of curved corner.

“When I asked you to not pin me in the morning, that includes _this_ kind of position,” he heard the familiar voice growl tiredly, Zack breathing heavily in a sort of huff before he reluctantly forced his eyes open just slightly, finding himself staring at a pillow with long strands of brown hair draped over his. Quirking a brow, he sighed and tiredly pushed himself up onto his forearms, still gazing down and finally noticing what the other had meant.

Zack gawked down at a rather dishevelled looking Leon, the man’s flat and tired glare aimed at him from where he was sprawled out under him, shirt tugged up, legs entangled with his own, arms trapped around the soldiers. It wasn’t exactly a secret that Zack was a hugger, but in bed, that was a different story. He cradled them, he unconsciously wrapped himself around them.

“You need to be more specific,” he replied with instead of an apology, a smirk gracing his tired face and receiving a deadpanned glare in return, a huff leaving the brunette. _Dishevelled_ indeed. He looked like a man that had been dragged to bed by his partner, and that blush on his cheeks didn’t help doubt his growing perverted thoughts.

“Can you let go?” Leon asked after a long moment of them simply staring at each other, _more like gazing._ The look in his eyes said something else though, Zack seeing another want in his gaze rather than getting him from above him.

Without warning, Zack simply dropped against him, returning to his position from before, “Too early, pillow,” he sighed into the gap between his shoulder and neck, finding where he’d been comfortable and cradling the other man beneath him, arms wrapping around the brunette.

“I’m not a-… Zack,” Leon huffed tiredly, the quick few seconds of struggle passing by like a breeze through the currently open window above them. He took as much pleasure and comfort as he could, going as far as to practically cuddling the other man-,

A sharp pain suddenly shot through his back, “Ow! Owowowow!” he snapped up from above the brunette, launching from the bed to grab the damn cat from his back, “Claws!” he yelled at it, grabbing the creature by its scruff and holding it at arms’ length while it hissed and attempted to bat at him.

“Glad one of the guys in my house is on my side,” he heard Leon comment sarcastically from the bed, the blankets being moved and springs creaking as the man climbed to his feet and reached for his clothes.

“I’ll skin you and wear you like a damn scarf,” he threatened in a growl, scowling at the cat and receiving another hiss, the heat behind the sound being very similar to Zack’s comical and very serious threat.

“He’s protecting me from a predator,” the brunette deadpanned, the soldier shooting a petulant stare his way as he dropped the cat to the bed and gave it a shove. _This was why he was a dog person. Zack didn’t end up with claw marks in his spine._

“Oh please. As if you didn’t enjoy being wrapped in my arms,” the soldier scoffed curtly, hands resting on his bare hips. His smirk widened completely upon seeing the evident red tint spreading along the other mans’ cheeks, “What’s with the blush, huh?” he teased with a quirked brow.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Leon replied quickly, Zack watching as he tiredly headed for the door, the soldier just barely beating him to it to place his hand on the wood to keep it from opening. He wouldn’t stop him if he really wanted to leave, obviously.

“Oh really?” he teased further, bravado growing with each second he watched that tint get darker, the blush growing and showing that he really had that much of an effect on the stoic leader.

“Zack,” the brunette warned softly, his eyes evasive and refusing to lock with his. His smirk ebbed away, making way for a soft smile. The reactions he gained from Leon warmed him, Zack feeling that warmth build in his chest whenever they were this close.

It grew faster when those evasive eyes glanced up at him and then away, a sort of resigned sigh leaving through the mans’ nose. There was that _want_ again, the drawing tug in his chest, but still, he didn’t have the courage from the day before. Not only that, but he was afraid that Leon was still exhausted. He wanted to make sure that he didn’t work himself into a burnout.

With his smile still drawn across his lips, Zack stepped away, letting him leave if he wanted and gaining a stare in return. He reluctantly turned away, reaching for his _borrowed gear_ that he’d left on the floor the night before. He heard the door open and close, the soldier trying to ignore the warmth in his chest. He needed to sort out his damned priorities.

He slipped on the similar gear that Cloud wore, finding it oddly more stylish that Zack’s own 1st Class uniform. Maybe finding himself some new threads wouldn’t have been all that bad considering that he couldn’t return to his duties in Midgar.

With a heavy huff, he ran a hand through his hair, gaze falling to the bed where he’d tossed the shirt to see the black and white feline scowling at him, tail flicking aggravatedly behind him.

“The hell are you lookin’ at,” he spat childishly, reaching out and snatching the shirt up just as fast as the cat swatted at him, narrowing avoiding the scars those deadly claws could inflict. The cat hissed at him, its back arching, “Evil,” he grumbled, slipping the shirt on and tucking the hem into the waist of the jeans. Taking a quick glance in the full-length mirror, he imagined that he wore everything the way that Spiky would, minus the sleeve and skirt thing that Leon mentioned he wore.

Blinking and tilting his head, he turned away and reached for his uniform belt, slipping it around his waist and buckling it in place. He liked the belt and the shield it gave his abdomen.

With that, Zack left the space and headed over to the door, reaching for his and Leon’s weapons. He latched his onto his back, grumbling at the burn he’d felt from the cats scratches before leaving the room and seeing the blond still sleeping, snoring away with his face buried in the pillow.

“They look good on you,” glancing around, he noted the brunette standing in the kitchen, his waist against the counter with a coffee in hand, hiding his lips with the rim after having lifted it to his mouth.

“I’ll have to thank Spike,” Zack smiled as he took a step towards the kitchen and watched as the leader reached around to the counter. Another mug was then held out to the soldier, Zack swapping the mug with the gunblade that he was wary of. _He wasn’t so much afraid of the weapon or of Leon wielding it. He simply realized earlier on that he had a minor case of PTSD for guns after his death-not-death due to the weapons._

He wouldn’t admit it out loud but he felt far more wary of guns after it, having had a nightmare or two that had him watching the night pass by after waking up in a slight sweat. _He could handle them,_ he continuously told himself.

Taking a sip from the warm coffee, he absentmindedly focused on the weapon as the man hooked it to his hips.

“You’re not going to be doing any heavy work today, are you?” he asked as a way to distract himself, forcing his bright blues up to the darker shade, the warmth flowing in his chest when he saw the peace in them, seemingly much more rested.

“Depends on what’s listed for today’s agenda,” _that didn’t sound promising._ Zack sighed softly, taking a hefty sip of his mug while shifting back and feeling his spine flatten out against the straight slate of his weapon as it pressed against the edge of the island counter.

“If there’s any heavy lifting, please call on me,” the soldier knitted his brow, not wanting the man to overdo it after having only one night to rest up. He felt as though Leon should have had a few more nights than that. Feeling an itch in his face, he blinked at the brunette, noting the stare he was getting, “What?” he quirked a brow in question.

“It’s nothing,” the other man shrugged, coffee mug still covering his mouth but he could see the very fine crease in his lower cheeks, giving away the fact that there was a small smile hidden behind the ceramic cup. He narrowed his gaze playfully at the other, catching the amused puff of a chuckle before the other lowered his cup, the smile growing just slightly.

“Cid, wake up!” Leon called out, reaching around behind him to flick the switch on the kettle before going about sorting out coffee for the blonde man.

“Get bent,” the heavily muffled grumble came, Zack snorting along with the brunette, his eyes turning to stare over his shoulder at the sprawled out mess of limbs that he could see from the outline of the sofa, a leg on the back of the couch, arms and the other leg over either end of it with a large blond tuft on the side his arms were.

“Want us to call Yuffie?” Zack threatened playfully, arms crossing over his chest with a mug in one hand, raising to his mouth to take another gulp of the delicious, life-saving morning beverage.

“Double get bent,” another muffled grumble was heard, the man shifting on the couch to get comfortable while attempting to ignore the two.

“Go on ahead, I’ll wake him up,” he returned his gaze to the other man, not really wanting to leave the man to it and refraining from even commenting on it. He didn’t want to come off as smothering or overprotective.

“You sure?” the soldier asked instead, swallowing what was left of his mug while taking note of the affirmed nod the brunette gave him as the kettle pinged. Sighing softly, he nodded in reply and eased himself from the counter, the cat scratches starting to itch under his shirt with the shift of his shirt, “Later,” he smiled, patting the man on the shoulder as he stepped away and headed out of the kitchen.

Leaving the building, he closed the door behind him, pocketing his hands before making his way out of the living area and towards HQ, _which he’d found out was actually a wizards’ house. That was pretty cool. He’d hadn’t met him as of yet though._

“Zack,” pausing in his stride the next street over, he turned to glance over his shoulder, eyes falling on a very familiar face, his own gradually growing into a beaming smile as all the memories rushed him like a barrelling bull.

“Spike?!” he exclaimed loudly, mind rushing with familiarity and reassurance upon seeing that _not-so-baby_ face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was getting pretty excited for their reunion and realized that I had too many ideas on how they could meet up again. I went for "simple".


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while since my last update, so here's a slightly longer chapter.

Despite his strong resolve to avoid building his feelings any further, it was a gradual losing battle. Though as slow as it was, it still appeared to grow over the time spent with him, that morning definitely kicking the accelerator. Upon waking up to the man embracing him like that, he couldn’t help but feel incredibly hot and hesitant, conflicted on whether or not he should have returned it or kicked him out of the bed, but instead... he didn’t do _anything._

Leon had this uncertainty recurringly making itself known, forcing him to balance on a fence. He had no idea whether the soldier actually thought of him as anything more than the Committee leader and comrade. He was friendly with everyone and didn’t seem to be bothered much when it came to personal space, depending on the person. He’d seen the man hug a few people, even drape an arm over a shoulder or two, and it wasn’t at all different with Leon himself. _Granted, there was a lot more touching,_ but he assumed that Zack had taken his lack-of-complaints as an invitation to touch him whenever.

And then there was the teasing, _the teasing that made his face heat up._ He had no way of stopping it, so unused to the bluntly flirtatious persona directed at him.

Grumbling to himself, Leon huffed, his hands busy with typing away on the keyboard ahead of him. As it turned out, Cid had actually been sick, having come down with a cold during the night. The water spray from a freezing shower, barely drying himself before showing up at Leons’ and then sleeping in the living room all night. The man had been forced back to bed, the group letting him use the unfinished Inn as his temporary sleeping quarters.

That left his house free again, for Zack to use the couch, _a thought to which he felt a mild disappointment towards._ He was reluctant to admit it, but the soldier had hit the nail on the heads with that comment earlier regarding his enjoyment with being wrapped in his arms. He’d been comfortable, warm, a sense of reassurance and safety washing over him while being held like that.

He could feel the heat returning to his cheeks, Leon lifting his fingers from the keyboard to run a hand through his hair and down his face. He couldn’t work like this, and he wasn’t even doing any heavy lifting. This was a problem with his mind, rather than a physical problem.

“Shit,” he cursed under his breath as he leaned back in Cid’s chair, arms crossing tautly over his chest with a frown growing and pulling at his sharp features. He didn’t like not being able to work and his constantly uncooperative mind refused to aid him after that morning.

“Leon?” shrugging off his building irritation, he lifted his head, hands returning to the keyboard to type as he heard Yuffie enter the Committee room, her boots tapping across the thick, wooden floorboards.

“I’m fine,” he replied without prompting, his fingers working well with his mind for the first time that day. He thought that maybe having someone there would actually keep him focused as he usually forced walls between himself and others whenever people were around.

“Considering that I didn’t ask if you were okay, I’d disagree,” he paused, fingers stopping above the buttons they’d been pressing. He blinked, his gaze falling to them, “What’s bugging you?” the ninja asked with an uncharacteristic softness to her tone, Leon gradually returning to leaning back against the seat. He knew that she wasn’t as oblivious as she made herself out to be. She was much smarter and far more people-savvy than she let on.

“Zack,” the former SEED admitted reluctantly, trying to force himself to relax as a mere image of the man appearing in his mind made his face feel just slightly warmer.

“He’s not even here,” the young girl replied with a shrug, Leon lifting his gaze to his side when she stopped only a foot or two away from him, her hands on her hips. He could see the overly curious glint in her eyes, something about his current state seemingly piquing her interest.

“Thankfully,” the man muttered quietly, directing his eyes back to the screen ahead of him with a sentence left unfinished upon where he’d paused in typing, “He’s in my head,” the fact that not a lot had been written on said screen could attest to that, distractions being far too great for him to just waved them off this time. That morning had really gotten under his skin, the cuddling, the hot hands and warm breath on his neck...

“You like him, huh,” Leon swallowed subtly at her conclusion, the girl clearly aware of how right she was the moment he refrained from speaking or looking at her. A soft chuckle left her, the brunette mans’ muscles becoming resigned and far less tense than before, “Never knew that you could get _that_ attached to someone,” again, her words were on point. He’d never been that attached to anyone after that one person all those years ago. _But this felt different..._

“That makes two of us,” he sighed gently, a hand reaching up to rub the side of his neck while feeling a tad too self-conscious. He felt just slightly naked, too open for the girl to read. It wasn’t as though it were her fault; he wouldn’t and couldn’t blame her. Her concern had prompted her to ask, Leon’s guard having been too lax to build his walls around himself like he usually did.

“I just came by to let you know that Sora’s here,” the change in subject drew his attention towards her, noting the knowing smile and understanding warmth, “He’s in the market and said that he’d be coming by,” he was thankful to her for not pushing the conversation, it really helped relieve the weight on his shoulders too. He knew that she wouldn’t blab about something like this.

“Thanks, Yuffie,” he sighed contently, his frown gone and replaced with a calm and relaxed expression. He felt as though he could do with another hour or so in bed and was pretty tempted to do just that given the chance.

“No problem,” the ninja beamed, giving an animated wave as she jogged back towards the door, “See ya later,” he returned the wave before she disappeared through the threshold, closing the large, wooden door behind her.

Again, he was glad that she hadn’t suggested he do anything or force the conversation, only making a comment here and there that made it easy for him to reply and maybe even open up just a tad. He could trust her, there was no doubt about that, and more often than not, she aided in getting him to speak and, very rarely, rant to relieve some invisible tension. She did well to help in those times and his situation was no exception.

Given the situation he was in, his mind being tremendously unhelpful, Cid being sick, Zack hanging out with an old friend, Leon reached into his pocket for his Coms-device, he sent out a message informing everyone that they could have the rest of the day off. There weren’t enough hands for the bigger jobs and it wasn’t as if Leon could work alone until maybe a day later due to overworking himself. _He was also pretty sure that if Zack got wind that he was lifting equipment, he’d be there immediately._

Setting the device back in his pocket, Leon relaxed in the chair, calm and at ease after finally letting some of his feelings out. Despite being in the mood to sleep for an hour or two, he was just as tempted to train, to let his weapon clash with another or be let loose on a Heartless or even a Nobody.

“Leon,” at the familiar voice and the creak of the door, the brunette gradually turned the chair and glanced over his shoulder with a friendly air, seeing the Keyblade wielder power-walk into the room, “Long time no see,” the boy waved excitedly, the other two he usually showed up with not being around.

“Sora,” he greeted, pushing himself up from the chair to meet the young man halfway, sharing a fist-bump with the smaller brunette. It was good to see him again after all that time, though he still wondered why he appeared on his own. Were Donald and Goofy busy?

“The Committee’s doing an awesome job. It looks amazing here,” the Keybearer grinned as he headed towards the door, Leon following after him and closing it behind them as they left the building, “The defences look way better too,”

“You can thank Tron for that,” he replied with a tired smile as they headed up the steps towards the Bailey, Sora leading the way. He maybe wanted to see it after they restored the walkway after he’d left, Leon being aware that the boy hadn’t seen it being built back up. Plus he came from the market, so chances were that he wanted a look around after all this time away.

“Yuffie said that _you_ were the one to figure it out,” Sora pointed out quickly, the older brunette cursing the girl in the fondest way possible considering that she knew he preferred to make an individual effort a team effort. Because it wasn’t only him that worked on the Bailey, “Take the credit,” the boy clapped his back, giving his shoulder a gentle shove.

“Team effort,” he responded humbly, his smile growing just slightly as they entered the area, Sora’s excitement seemingly growing as he looked all over while Leon leaned against the wall, the boy commenting on what appeared different and the same from what he recalled of the Bailey back when it was a walkway.

It was endearing to watch, Leon finding a sense of comfort in the fact that he still had that child-like excitement after everything he’d been through up until then. If it were anyone else, they would have lost that charm, but not Sora. He was still just a kid, a mature one at times, but still.

“Yo,” snapping himself from his thoughts upon hearing the usual greeting, Leon glanced over his shoulder towards the entrance they’d used only minutes ago, “What’s with giving us a half-day?” Zack smiled, stepping up somewhat behind, somewhat beside him, an arm being draped over his shoulder. Again, there was that warm, contentedness that washed through him.

“We’re down a few hands and everyone’s deserved it,” he replied, Leon putting in the effort to hide the distraction from his tone as he eyed the mans’ face. He forced his gaze away, thankful that he’d brought the blonde with him. He looked alright, thankfully, “Cloud,” he nodded, the other soldier giving him a nod of acknowledgement, a very fine smile well hidden under that stoic mask of passive seriousness.

“Who’s the kid?” Zack asked after a moment, the three having started watching the boy run around and gradually following him out the other side of the Bailey towards the stairs. He really seemed to like the slightly different appearance to the area.

“Sora,” Leon called out casually, the brunette haired boy turning his bright eyes on them and seeming even giddier. He turned completely towards them, jogging back up the stairs with his hand already held out.

“Hey, I’m Sora,” he was pretty excited, giving Leon the impression that maybe someone had given him some candy before running into the former SEED. Scrooge, more than likely. He liked to appear as a grouchy old man, but he knew that the duck loved spoiling the hero when he thought that no one was looking.

“I’m Zack, nice to meet you, kid,” the soldier greeted in return, giving the Keybearer a hefty and strong handshake. By the look on his face, he looked pretty happy with meeting the boy, not that Leon thought he wouldn’t.

“I’m not a kid,” Sora countered with a smirk, that maturity showing through just slightly in his posture as he crossed his arms over his chest and puffed it out. If one looked hard enough, they could see the muscle under those sleeves.

“My mistake,” Zack waved his hands in surrender, clearly playing with him if his tone didn’t give it away, “You’ve got a baby-face,” he pointed, gesturing towards his cheeks. At that, Leon scoffed softly, shaking his head at the two.

“Like you can talk,” if Sora’s cheeky were considered baby-face then Zack had one as well. His skin, bar for that little X scar, was as fair as a childs, as soft and as smooth as ever.

“Just because we can’t all have a gorgeous and manly face like yours,” the heat returned, gradually warming up his face. And thankfully for Leon, Sora seemed to catch his attention before either of them could see the change in shade on his cheeks.

“So, which world did you come from?” the boy spoke up, the former SEED appreciating the Keybearers’ question because it definitely caught Zack’s attention, enough that Leon could try to force his composure to return.

“The same one as Cloud and Aerith. I think Yuffie and Cid too,” he breathed softly, rhythmically, eyes closing for a moment so that he could concentrate. It was really getting to the point that he blushed over a simple fly-by comment that was meant to be a joke?

_This was getting out of hand..._

“Hey,” upon hearing Clouds’ mutter, Leon opened his eyes and glanced to his side, the blonde now standing there in place of where Zack had been before.

“Hey,” he returned just as quietly, arms crossing over his chest much like how the other soldier currently stood. He seemed calm, happy even, a clear difference from every other time they’d seen him in Hollow Bastion. That could have been Zack’s doing.

“You already know, right?” perplexity glossed Leon’s expression at that, a questioning frown adorning his features. Had he told the others something in hopes that it would get back to him? If so, he hadn’t heard anything from anyone. Cid was out sick, Aerith and Yuffie were shopping, the ninja having had the time to come by to inform him about Sora, but other than that, he hadn’t seen anyone else.

“About what?” he finally asked, brow quirking at the other man while a scratch of anticipation itched beneath his skin.

“He’s fallen for you,” his eyes grew wide, body stiffening under his clothes with gaze locked on the blonde, said man taking a glance at him and seemingly came to a realization, “I guess you didn’t,” he commented slowly, taking in the way Leon had to really pause, his darker blue eyes turning towards the older soldier still chatting excitedly with the kid.

He could feel the tension waver the moment he locked his gaze with the smile on Zack’s face, the stiffness gradually ebbing away like the cold when a fire was lit. His smile... his eyes, his words...

“All that attention he gives me,” he muttered gently, having the realization as to why the man was always there for him. Leon barely felt the soft smile that eased its way onto his own face. That fence he’d been standing on before, his reluctance to understand why he’d been uncertain. He hadn’t needed to be.

“You’ve fallen too,” Cloud scoffed quietly beside him, Leon letting his gaze lift to the man to see the _amused_ look on his face, an expression he’d never ever seen on this man. It had to be Zack’s doing. He brought out the smile in everyone.

“Am I that obvious,” he deadpanned, running his gloved fingers against the side of his neck. He didn’t want anyone else realizing that the brunette had a pretty intense crush, _if it could even be called that considering how much he really felt._

“No,” Cloud reassured him, Leon sighing in relief, “At least not to Zack, but he can be pretty slow when it comes to someone being interested in him,” _yeah, that’s definitely reassuring... thanks._ Leon grunted in internal sarcasm, “If you want to be with him, be obvious,” at that, the brunette lifted his eyes to the other, noting the complete seriousness in his intense blues. There was that fierce soldier, he could see him.


	11. Chapter 11

Due to everyone having the rest of the day off, everyone had seemed relaxed and happy, Leon being aware that it was for a number of reasons such as being able to get home earlier than usual, going out for drinks, to hang out with friends and even go to the recently opened park with their kids. It was a pleasure to see as he’d made his way back to his home after giving Sora his key to his own house.

Not that it was favouritism or anything, but he felt as if the hero should have something in return for everything he’d done, and so he gave him his very own home in Hollow Bastion, a building not all that far from his own or Merlin’s house. He was overjoyed with it and almost immediately went on to eye everything in the newly furnished house.

It warmed his heart to see all of that excitement let loose like that.

It warmed his heart, even more, when Zack returned to Leon’s not even half an hour after the brunette got there first to take a shower ahead of time.

“Leon, I’m back,” at the call, the brunette paused as he was climbing out of the shower, hand rushing to reach for a towel to wrap it around his waist, thankful that Zack hadn’t stolen the bigger towel the last time he’d showered. He made sure that it was properly secured, going as far as to hold it just in case as he unlocked the bathroom door and stepped out with the steam following him.

“Welcome back,” he greeted casually, closing the door behind him and noting the stare he was getting, blue eyes so focused on his body and face that he could almost feel the heat behind them warming his skin more than the shower did.

He didn’t shy away from it, rather, he definitely acknowledged it and even accepted his own excitement at being looked at with that kind of fixation.

“That’s a sight I could get used to,” the other commented hotly, his tone slightly deeper than before while he opened looked him over, a smirk growing on his face with his arms crossing over his chest. He could feel the blush creeping up his face, cheeks warming up.

_‘If you want to be with him, be obvious,’_ hearing Cloud’s words play out in his mind, Leon took a subtly breath, steeling himself as he forced himself to take a step towards the bedroom. He had to start somewhere and considering this was Zack, coming at him with his own method would be a good starting point.

“Play your cards right and you might get to see it more often,” he visibly smirked towards the man, seeing the instant change on his face, from coy and teasing to completely baffled and surprised, clearly having not expected Leon to reply with that instead of his usual _almost_ shy retreats.

Though, as calm and as teasing as he had been outside of the bedroom, the moment he entered it and closed the door behind him, he let out a breath he hadn’t been aware of holding, his heart beating against his ribs and threatening to crack one after that nerve-wracking moment. He swallowed thickly, lips and mouth dry after it.

He licked them absentmindedly and unfastened his towel, swiftly going about drying himself before changing into a pair of sweats and a vest. He lingered in the bedroom longer than necessary, taking his time while drying his hair. He didn’t want to blush or feel at all embarrassed upon leaving the room. He wasn’t a flirt, of all the traits he had, that had never been one of them.

Feeling as though he’d spent too much time stalling, Leon sighed softly and turned towards the door, reaching out reluctantly and steeling his emotions and expressions. He opened it, the warm and inviting smell of food wafting passed him and relaxing him.

He stepped out, closing the door behind him just as the cat darted between his legs, entering the bedroom just as he’d been about to close it.

“What was that?” glancing up and towards the kitchen, he noted the amused expression on the soldiers face, a brow quirked with interest. His initial shock had obviously passed, seeing as he was cooking up a meal and seemed perfectly calm and composed like before.

“What was what?” Leon asked, playing dumb as he headed towards the bathroom door once more and dropped his towel into the hamper before closing it. He turned towards the man, noting the analytical stare he was getting while that smirk only stretched, arms crossing over his chest while whatever was in the pan cooked.

“You being a tease,” Zack clarified, his body turning more towards the former SEED as he did, “That was _me-level_ teasing,” the man chuckled at his own tease rankings. If that had been Zack-Level, he was interested in whether there were more.

“I’m not allowed to get payback?” Leon tilted his head much like the soldier did when he was confused, the brunette gradually walking towards him and leaning back against the island counter, his eyes focused on the taller man.

“Nope, never said that. Just didn’t expect it,” Zack replied swiftly, waving a hand at him while the brunette shifted his hands to rest against the counter edge on either side of his waist. Seeing the way the man’s eyes focused on his mid-section for an entire two seconds, he felt a warm flutter brush the inner walls of his chest.

“Says the guy that’s been bluntly flirting with me from the start,” he countered simply and pointedly, making it clear that payback had been inevitable, _not that he’d actually thought about getting him back from the start, that had been a decision made after getting out of the shower..._

“I should’ve expected it, huh,” the soldier then conceded, his tone giving away the fact that Leon had him beat on the matter,_ only just,_ “Touché,” the man grinned, turning his hands to the pan to continue with whatever he was making. It smelt like melted cheese and burger combined. Taking a closer look over the other mans’ shoulder actually confirmed it.

“Totally a low blow though,” Leon hummed in question to Zack’s comment, glancing up at the man just in time to see him glance back, “Using your body against me,” _like it was a weapon, much like how Zack had but he took it a step further._

“You use yours against me all the time, Zack,” he returned, arms crossing over his chest as he turned away and headed towards his recliner, a soft smirk edging at his lips. He hoped that he didn’t feel upset about it. He was trying to be as obvious as he could without actually saying anything. Or maybe that had been what Cloud had meant... to _tell_ him.

“There’s a difference,” the soldier called back just as Leon took a seat and crossed his legs up on it, turning his gaze back towards the man. He watched him, processing his replies, and in all honesty, it really seemed as though Zack didn’t know that Leon had the same feelings, only solidifying Cloud’s statement in that he wasn’t the brightest spark when it came to someone’s interest in him.

“There really isn’t,” he replied as firmly as he could, watching as the ravenette let his gaze fall over his shoulder on the brunette. There still wasn’t that glint of realization, only a confused brow quirk. Was it supposed to be a tad frustrating that he wasn’t getting it?

The two lingered while eating, Leon taking glances at the other every so often, stealth being on his side as the other seemed far more into his food at the time. He found it rather amusing and liked the comfortable air they shared even in the silence. There were a few times where a conversation was struck, Zack going on about how Cloud showed him a few things here and there that even Leon hadn’t known about or had avoided for his own reasons.

There was also a moment where he’d almost slipped up, mentioning that he wished that he could have shown Leon his world, great places to take a partner on a date and so on, being the focus. The words he’d used and how he’d almost slipped up gave the impression that Zack wanted to take him to a few of those _date spots,_ not that he would decline if asked.

Letting a yawn separate his lips, Leon lifted his hand to cover his mouth, eyes closing and feeling a very slight wetness in the corner of one. Stretching and feeling a crack somewhere along his spine, he gradually pushed himself to stand and reached for his and Zack’s empty plates before heading towards the kitchen. _He could rinse them in the morning._

“You going to bed?” he heard the soldier ask from the couch, the brunette glancing over his shoulder to see the other leaning an arm over the back of the couch, chin resting against his forearm. He looked pretty tired too, despite the two having not done all that much.

“Yeah, feel like I could drop right now,” he replied with another yawn threatening to be released. He rubbed his arms and headed towards his bedroom door, opening it and stepping aside just as the cat trotted back out and towards the cat-flap in the backdoor.

“G’night,” the ravenette smiled, Leon having been halfway through the threshold when he’d processed the soldiers’ word. He turned back around, thinking that Zack thought he’d be sleeping on the sofa again since Cid wasn’t there.

“You can still use the bed,” he mentioned as casually as ever, his tiredness outweighing his embarrassment and awkwardness while the other man hummed in question, eyes fixed on him, “I’m not kicking you out of the bedroom just because no one’s using the couch anymore,” he supplied, arms crossing loosely over his chest.

“You sure?” Zack asked after a long moment, head tilting in that endearing puppy-like manner, “You know I’m probably going to be hugging you in the morning again,” it almost sounded as if he were warning him in the softest way possible, Leon letting a tired smile draw at his lips.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” he got a dubious expression in return to his reply, Leon shrugging at him and scoffing softly as he turned away and walked into his bedroom, leaving the door open, “No cat to save me from you this time,” he added just loud enough for the other to hear, catching the sound of bare feet on carpet only a few seconds later. _He really didn’t like his cat, it appeared._

True to Zack’s words, Leon stirred to a heater hugging him from behind, the brunette cradled in incredibly warm arms and hot breath against his neck. He sighed softly, taking a moment to analyze his position and state. It was early still, the sun only just starting to shine through his window and colour the wall in orange.

The warmth around him was just as comforting and welcoming as before, if not more so now that he’d actually accepted and admitted to himself that he wanted the soldier probably as much as Zack wanted him. _Cloud’s words, not his._

He turned his head just slightly, feeling the hot breath against his cheek as he shifted, eyes gradually closing again while he took pleasure in it rather than let himself feel embarrassment like before. There’d been some disappointment thanks to how he’d handled the first morning like this. There could have been more tact, more politeness and maybe, he could have lingered and let Zack get off on his own rather than letting his cat save him.

Leon gradually turned, letting the arms around him shift with his movements, feeling them lower along his waist to where his vest and ridden up due to his rotation. The moment he’d felt the heat from skin-to-skin, he shuddered gently, his hands resting against a strong and solid chest. He kept his composure as he heard and felt a quiet groan rumble through the solid muscle against his palms, his gaze lifting to see the very dazed and sleep-disoriented blinking Zack did as he started stirring.

He watched him, the soldiers’ eyes closing again before cuddled further against the brunette, Leon resting his head against the pillow directly in front of the ravenette.

_‘Be obvious’,_ right? He thought as a tired smile graced his lips again, the former SEED nudging his forehead foreword into the others and feeling him tighten around him, his grip becoming more of a bear-hug.

“Morning,” he spoke quietly and deeply, blinking slowly and watching as Zack’s bright blues were forced open, gazing into Leon’s darker blue irises. The warmth spread in his chest and face at the sight of the morning smile he received.

“Mornin’, pillow,” _again with the pillow._ He scoffed gently, swallowing subtly due to hesitance. And with some self-disappointment building within him, he felt as if he had no idea what he was doing.

_‘Be obvious’,_ Cloud had said, as if Leon had a clue how to be. He could be blunt, but only when it came to necessary daily life and objective situations. This, this wasn’t either. This wasn’t an everyday circumstance.

This was Zack and Leon. The latter of which felt as if he weren’t good enough for the ma currently breathing him in, his face having shifted until his mouth and nose were cradled against his neck.

As reluctant as he was, he needed help from the blonde soldier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -‘Be obvious’, Cloud had said, as if Leon had a clue how to be.- Thanks for the comment, fit in perfectly xD


	12. Chapter 12

Grumbling into his pillow, Cloud huffed heavily, reluctantly lifting his head from the cushion as the unending knocking continued. It was early, _too_ early for anyone to be this active, though knowing everyone in the Committee group, only two had issues with sleeping and one of them was currently trying to ignore the persistent tapping on the wooden door a floor beneath him.

With a tired frown, he kicked his blanket off, turning onto his side before forcing himself to sit up. Thankfully, Tifa had spent the night at the Inn to take care of Cid, leaving Cloud to look after the house for a few nights, so the person making noise wouldn’t fall victim to a sleep-deprived Tifa.

He groaned, his frown still present as he descended the stairs and glanced towards the door as it came into view, the knocking having stopped the moment the steps creaked. He continued on, striding across the carpeted floor until he reached the handle, turning it to unlock it and easing it open to feel the cold morning air rush passed him. He invisibly shivered and pulled it open further, the very well known brunette standing stiffly in the doorway.

He quirked a tired brow at him the two staring at each other rather impassively in the peaceful silence. He could see the wide-awake and active air around the man, Cloud feeling both proud and guarded about the fact that whatever was on the mans’ mind, he’d chosen to come to him out of the whole group.

“How do I be obvious,” the brunette then asked out of nowhere, Cloud’s eyes blinking his tiredness away with only a few flutters. He hadn’t expected _that_ to leave the others’ lips. Was this really Leon?

“Are you being serious?” the blonde questioned deeply, his voice filled with a husky, cracking grogginess. He definitely appeared serious, if his expression didn’t give that away. It was the Leon he knew, the look on his face, the warm, stern strength in his eyes.

“I am,” of course he was. With a yawn snaking its way up through his throat, he clamped his jaw closed, letting it stew and then leave him as he reached an arm up and carded his fingers through his untamed hair. He assumed that he’d have to help in some way, though it wasn’t as if _he_ knew how to be all that obvious either. He’d said it with the _‘Do as I say, not as I do’_ phrase in mind.

“Want coffee?” he offered lazily, stepping aside and holding the door further open for the man to step in, watching with a tired eye as he gracefully eased his way into the room and towards the living room, Cloud closing the door and following after him, “Did you sleep at all or were you awake all night with this?” he had to ask, chance were that Leon hadn’t slept at all.

“I slept. Woke up to Zack again,” _Or not?_ His brow quirking higher, the former soldier eyed the other man as he stepped into the kitchen and effortlessly set up the coffee maker. He’d known for a while that sleep rarely came to Leon whenever his mind was active with questions and work, Cloud having joined him during a few sleepless nights due to having his own problems sleeping.

But then he processed the full reply, his mind focusing on the fact that they’d slept together for a second time.

“He mentioned sharing a bed with you,” could it be something as cliché as sharing a bed helped him sleep through an overly active mind? He knew that Zack was a definite comfort to be with and anyone would feel safe with him in the room, “Also mentioned Lion’s wake up call,” Cloud smirked lazily, recalling the complaints about the feline Leon owned.

“He gets jealous,” the brunette scoffed lightly, the blonde lifting the mugs and heading into the living room to hand one over to the other man. He did seem rested, no sign of exhaustion or sleep-deprivation anywhere on his smooth and scarred skin.

“For your attention, I doubt Zack would give up that easily, especially to a cat,” Cloud snorted, setting his mug down on the coffee table before taking a seat on his couch, dropping heavily against the cushions and feeling the material hug him from beneath, “Speaking of Zack...” he trailed off, watching as the brunette sat along the edge of the couch beside him, mug still in hand with his elbows resting against his knees.

“He’s still in bed. I told him that it was too early and to go back to sleep,” so Zack had been awake when Leon decided to get up and disturb Cloud’s sleep. The two seemed pretty casual about sharing a room and bed at least, that giving him an idea or two on how to help the brunette, “He thinks I’m checking on Cid,” the other added as he leaned back against the sofa.

“Do you really not know how to show him how you feel?” he had to be sure, it came as a surprise that Leon of all people had no clue as to how he should go about this. He didn’t seem the type to not have a plan for every situation, even for something as natural as a relationship starter.

“I’m inexperienced with this kind of situation,” that came as even more of a surprise. Cloud stared at him, glad that the other man seemed to want to avoid eye contact so that he didn’t see the disbelief on his face. Granted, none of them had any real clue about the mans’ past before meeting him and he’d let them in on a handful of things, but it was incredibly hard to believe that he had no experience with relationships when he _looked like that_ and had this air about him that made it appear as if he had experience with every kind of relationship. _And hadn’t there been a girl in his past? Someone that Tifa had reminded him of?_

“Stop staring,” he subtly flinched at that, having been a bit too distracted to realize that Leon had caught him staring for all that time. Automatically, he reached a hand up to his neck, rubbing the back of it sheepishly.

“Sorry,” he muttered softly, letting himself relax again while reaching for his own mug and taking a sip before continuing, “From what I can tell, he hasn’t changed at all, so I can actually help you,” he informed, hoping that he eased some of the tension building in the other mans’ shoulders.

“Thanks,” the brunette replied with a sigh of relief, his reply definitely appearing to have a good effect on him. There was a little less stress pulling at his muscles and making him knit his brow in mild frustration, though that crease on his forehead had left as soon as he’d said that he could help.

“Despite the fact that he’s a massive flirt and comes off as a cool, date-me kinda guy to almost everyone, he’s a hopeless romantic with the person he really likes, and only that person,” he started straightforwardly, a smirk tugging at his lips when he recalled the many times that other women had assumed that he wanted to be with them whenever he put on his flirty smile. It was just a trait that the soldier had never been able to shake, “So it’s pretty easy to tell who he has a thing for,” that being Leon, and a lot of the people in Hollow Bastion had picked up on that, the Committee included.

_Leon had seemed to be the only one that **didn’t** know until Cloud gave him a clue._

“Hopeless romantic, that sounds about right,” at least the brunette knew enough to know what _that_ was. So it wasn’t as if he had no experience, he understood what kind of love Zack felt, regardless of whether or not he felt it himself at any given point in his life. _It definitely made things easier for Cloud._

“Being a hopeless romantic, he’s incredibly weak to things like _waking up beside that person_,” the blonde emphasized, taking a glance at the other to see the soft understanding smooth out the very fine stress lines on his face, maybe a little realization worming its way as well, “Kissing in the morning, cuddling and embracing the person he likes while they’re still in bed,” he continued, aware that Leon had basically already done two of these, the waking up together and cuddling, _from what Zack told him._

_His mentor definitely told him way too much. He’d learned way more about Leon than he’d have liked when it came to his daily routines and how Zack felt whenever they were close or touching..._

“He loves intimacy, physical contact, your attention,” he counted off a few things, lifting his eyes to the other when he felt the couch shift to see the growing warmth on the others’ face, “Whenever your focus is on him, he can’t help but smile and feel like he wants you all to himself,” and that blush just kept growing and growing, getting darker on his tanned skin, “His words, not mine,” he smiled, feeling maybe a little victorious when the Committee Leader had to look away to try and compose himself. He’d never seen him flustered or even out of character, so this was actually a treat.

“So my suggestion,” Cloud crossed his arms over his chest, mug still in hand, “-is to go back to your place, get back into bed, skip today’s work and make out with him,” as blunt as that was, he wasn’t just messing with the instantly baffled and shocked looking man. There was no other real way to get Zack to understand that Leon liked him just as much and Cloud knew for a fact that it would take more than just the two flirting with each other. Zack was dense and Leon couldn’t be obvious without kissing him to make it that clear.

“I can’t do that, we’ve still got a lot of work to do-,” the brunette started in a slight fluster, cheeks still tinted.

“Leon,” Cloud cut in swiftly, surprising the both of them that Leon had actually fallen silent almost immediately. He lifted his free hand and pointed towards the door, “Go back to bed and make out with my mentor,” he strained to keep a straight face after saying the sentence out loud, finding his wording amusing, and that redder blush _even more_ entertaining.

“You can do it. If you have enough strength and resolve to fight a bunch of Heartless and Nobodies that surround you, you have more than enough courage to kiss a man that loves you,” Cloud then added seriously, his amusement becoming soft and serious, a smile gracing his lips as he watched the other fighter, the thought evident on his features, “Go,” he gestured towards the door.

The man stood up after a lingering moment, moving towards the door after setting his half full mug on the table. Without a word, Cloud was giving a nod of thanks and a wave before leaving the building, Cloud only mildly surprised that he hadn’t taken that long before finding his usually present resolve.

He scoffed softly, finding the situation both fondly frustrating and almost adorable as he drank the rest of his mug and decided to get changed. He wouldn’t be sleeping any time soon, not after the last few minutes.

Climbing to his feet, he set his cup on the table, drinking the rest of what Leon had left in his own mug before making his way back upstairs to his room. He casually went about changing, belting his trousers up before reaching for his shirt, wallet and phone. He wasn’t sure whether or not he was awake as of yet, but knowing him, he’d probably worked until late, much like every other day since finding his place with Hollow Bastion, _Or Radiant Garden._

Pocketing his wallet, he unlocked his Gummiphone, going through his contacts until he saw Ienzo’s contact image appear on the screen, his delicate and ingenious smile half hidden by his long bangs. He went about sending a message, asking whether or not he wanted to hang out or if Cloud could meet him at his workplace within the large IT department.

The former soldier really needed to take his own advice on telling someone how he felt...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may or may not [Totally do] have a thing for Cloud and KH3 Ienzo being paired together.


	13. Chapter 13

Finding himself almost feeling as though he were a child being told what to do, Leon huffed to himself as he returned to his home, unlocking the door and quietly stepping into the building with wary nerves. He leaned back against it after shutting the large, thick slab of wood, hands pressed against it on either side of his waist.

Even someone as oblivious as Sora could probably see his nervousness after having been given a solid idea on what to do in his current predicament. He knew that it would be hard to see this as something other than him having strong feelings for Zack, especially if he were to really _make out_ with him, rather than give a simple kiss. Cloud was right though, the ravenette would or should understand.

Forcing himself to ignore his wavering resolve, he turned the handle, locking it before silently stepping away from the door and heading towards his bedroom. He reached out, hesitance stopping him just short of the handle. It was still early and Zack had probably fallen back to sleep as he’d asked before leaving the man there to seek help. _That help only telling him to get back to bed and **make out** with the man._

Shaking his head with mild exasperation, he eased his hand around the handle, being sure that the cat was no one to be seen as he turned it and slowly opened it, stepping inside to see that Zack had really fallen back to sleep, lying sprawled out on his back with an arm under his pillow and the other draped over his bare chest, the blankets halfway wrapped around his legs.

He watched from the doorway, gradually and silently closing it behind him as he let his gaze roam the strong figure. With much internal encouragement, he pushed himself to take a few steps towards the bed, hands reaching up to slip his jacket from his shoulders. The first step was to get into bed and that was the easy part if he thought of it as just going back to sleep.

Stripping himself had been somewhat easy, leaving himself in his underwear before he reached for his vest, leaving the sweats on the floor this time. He climbed under the sheets after slipping into the sleeveless fabric, reaching over to reluctantly turn the alarm off. It felt wrong that he’d considered skipping the day as Cloud had instructed. He liked work more than a lot of other things, that being a part of his daily routine, something he cherished. _Maybe he could get a few hours of work in after trying to get Zack to understand?_ Either way, he didn’t want to waste the rest of the day.

Turning over under the covers to face the other man, his mind slowed down, expression and tension going soft and relaxed upon seeing the peace and warmth on the soldiers' features. His breaths were slow and even, Leon finding it almost calming as he absentmindedly synced his own with the others, gradually feeling the tiring effect it had on him.

Swallowing lightly, he gravitated closer under the blankets, warmth building between them from the natural heat radiating from their skin. The warmth and comfort eased him, the fact that it was this man making it much easier for him to find his own peace.

Finally being as close as he could be without touching the man, he curled his head forward, almost feeling like an embarrassed child as he let his forehead press against the ravenettes’ shoulder, his hand hesitantly lifting under the sheets to brushing his fingers up the forearm draped over the toned midsection.

There wasn’t much response until Leon let his hand gently lower to Zack’s stomach, at that point, he felt the heavy shifting on the bed and he was evidently trapped in another embrace much like the one that morning. His arms pressed against his chest, one hand on his abdomen, strong arms clinging to him with their legs entangled... and a hot breath ghosting his neck like a hot, damp breeze.

And Cloud talked about Zack being weak to morning embraces? Leon had shuddered, finding himself almost squirming in the hold and feeling all too warm in his own skin. His breathing stuttering softly, the brunette tried to compose himself, eyes closing to try and gain a better handle on his concentration. He didn’t want to lose to the embrace, he needed his focus to be able to even construct an idea of how he would do this now that he was finally in the sleeping mans’ strong arms.

Taking a calm intake and exhale, he slowly let his lids part, eyes falling on the peaceful expression and the delicate lips that were slightly parted, making it that much easier for the hot breath to brushing his bare skin.

Another controlled breath leaving his chest, Leon swallowed softly and, like that morning, he let his forehead press against Zack’s. It felt comforting, safe and reassuring to have him that much closer with slowly growing confidence, because he could do this.

“Leon? How’s Cid?” blinking out of his moment of self-psyching, the brunette focused on the other man, feeling warmth flutter in his chest when his own eyes took in the Mako-induced one gazing back, pupils dark with dilation and tire. It drew a soft smile to his face, Leon feeling the arms around him loosen just slightly, to his faint disappointment. He felt as if Zack were about to let go and get up, hoping that he wouldn’t miss this chance.

“He’s fine,” he muttered quietly, his gaze still locked on the soldiers as they stayed put, the brunette letting his fingertips ghost against the other's skin where they could reach without moving his palms, almost convinced that he’d felt a soft shiver beneath them as the other man inhaled. Thinking that it hadn’t been his imagination, he continued to do it, trying to keep his breathing as even as Zack’s while refusing to look away from him.

All this time gazing at him, Leon had been building the courage to make a move, hope being strong that he could do it like his resolve and Cloud had told him.

He’d been about to make that very move, a hand brushing up the other mans’ chest to gradually rest along his strong neck, but then Zack had leaned in and pressed hot lips against his warm ones, the ravenette shaping them to his in a slow and somewhat lazy, but incredibly heated, morning kiss... which was gradually returned as he eased into it, having processed and sighed into it.

He felt a hand moving, inch by inch rising up his waist and up his back until a hot palm was resting against the back of his neck, thumb and fingers lacing the sides and keeping him in place as the hot lips started pressing against harder against his own with a little more pressure than how it had started. He leaned into it, body starting to shape into the warmer one under the sheets with his hand still resting against Zack’s neck and jaw, thumb brushing the bone back and forth.

Feeling just slightly lightheaded, but not from lack of oxygen, he felt the soldier reluctantly ease their mouths apart, a soft breath leaving the former SEEDs’ lips. His concentration had left him completely, focus lost to the steam filling his light-headed mind.

_“Good_ _morning_,” the ravenette emphasized, Leon feeling a swell of pride at seeing the groggy smile on the taller mans’ face. His own lips curved, a smile tugging on either end of his mouth as he relaxed against him and the bed, head pressing against the pillow.

“G’ morning,” he muttered softly in return, cursing the ever-growing heat on his cheeks as the two simply laid there with each other, Leon taking comfort in the strong arms still wrapped around him and the hand still against the back of his neck; he’d been leaning into the touch, eyes closing while feeling soothed.

“Is this for real?” he’d _felt_ Zack’s word’s, each letter brushing against his face with the very light puffs of breath, his smile only growing the firmer the embrace became. It almost felt as though the soldier didn’t want to let go any time soon.

“Yesterday, I was trying to be as obvious as I could without actually saying it,” Leon explained softly, feeling far too content to be tense or stressed about the fact that he was being so honest. It really had to be Zack’s presence, the effect he had on the brunette, the trust between them that gave him the comfort to be able to talk and not have to worry.

“Saying what?” the other asked just as gently, Leon feeling warm skin brush against his own as the taller man pressed their foreheads together, his breath that much hotter against his lips. Slowly, the former SEED opened his eyes, meeting the soldiers’ halfway and they were darker, his pupils having taken up much more of the Mako blue iris. He knew what it meant, the want, the love; he could _feel_ it warming him from every part of the other mans’ body.

“I don’t get attached to anyone, not like I have with you,” he finally confessed, voice quiet but filled with honesty and resolve, mind made up in that he refused to take it back now that he’d said it loud enough for Zack to hear and process, the man clearly taking it in as a grin started to take over his face.

Before he could say another word, the heated lips returned, Leon feeling weak against them and humming softly, a very light groan bubbling in his chest as Zack pressed against him, hands firmer on his body and neck. He tilted his head just slightly, their mouths shaping and fitting together while the warmth built up in the brunette's chest and spread.

Feeling the other lean into him, he couldn’t much in turns of keeping their position, Leon finding himself being rolled onto his back with the taller man getting comfortable above him, having more leverage to make the former SEED feel even more lost in the deepening kiss.

They started shifting against his own, moulding and forcing him to return it, lips feeling somewhat damp the longer it lasted and tasting the tip soldiers’ tongue here and there as he constantly wet his lips and seemed to refrain from letting the muscle go any further than that. Truthfully, it took his breath away, Leon feeling entirely unable to function as the heat ran through his veins and under his skin from where the sparks of warmth originated between their mouths.

His chest rose and fell with his pants, his breaths coming in far less even than before and that seemed to catch the soldiers’ attention, the ravenette slowing down and giving him one last, lingering hold of his lips.

Finally managing to catch his breath, he opened his mouth the moment Zack reluctantly released their liplock, Leon taking in air that had been warming up around them. Opening his eyes, his half-lidded gaze lifted to the almost completely darkened eyes, Zack’s cheeks almost as red as his felt.

He couldn’t fathom all the emotions rushing through those bright blue eyes, Leon just letting him feel and letting himself take pleasure and comfort in it. The soldiers’ question from before, regarding whether or not that this was even real, he asked it, over and over in his fogged and dazed mind. His lips curved again, the brunette relaxing entirely under the ravenette.

“I love you,” he both _felt_ and heard, the hot breath warming his face and drawing a soft sigh from him. He liked it... he _loved it._ Leon slowly reached up, drawing the other man back into a kiss, much softer and chaster than before, but there was no less feeling in it than when Zack completely took over the kiss before. The feelings, the heat and meaning behind their words and actions...

“I love you,” he replied, voice barely a whisper as he gazed up into the others mans’ eyes, feeling the slight pressure on his skull as Zack pressed their foreheads together again, still above him and using his arms and legs to cradle his weight, only blanketing the brunettes’ body in his natural warmth.

They were there for a while like that, somewhere along the line the two shifting until they were back to lying on their sides, the ravenettes’ face against his neck and shoulder again with his arms wrapped around the brunettes’ upper mid-section and Leon’s hands lost in the black thickets on Zack’s skull. His previously conflicted mind had finally settled on just skipping the days’ work, Leon deciding that the rest of the Committee can do whatever they wanted until he inevitably got back to work.

_But for the time being, he refused to move from his current position._

“Wait,” Leon internally grumbled as Zack shifted against him, the brunette glancing down just as the ravenette lifted his face from his slighter smaller frame, a relaxed smile adorning his lips, “So that comment yesterday after you got outta the shower, you were actually serious?” blinking blankly for a moment in thought, he suddenly recalled the moment, his gaze growing and the heat returning to his cheeks with a vengeance, “That blush says it all,” the ravenette grinned, his brows quirked in a way that gave him the impression that he had ideas in mind or would hold him to the comment.

“Shut up and sleep,” Leon grumbled firmly, hands lightly forcing Zack back to the position they’d been in, not that he fought it at all. Sighing softly, he tilted his face down, mouth and nose brushing the wild black hair. He could explain his reasoning behind that tease at a later date when he had more courage to actually do more than just lie there and respond to the mans’ lips and hands.

Until then, this was more than enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is technically the last chapter for the story, but me being me, I like to add an epilogue that usually involves the pairing actually getting into a sexual act.  
So, if you want to read that, I hope you enjoy the very last chapter, if not, I hope you enjoyed the story and thanks for being a part of it, I really appreciate you. 
> 
> [Hope to see you in my Cloud/Ienzo story I plan to write after this at some point.]


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tend to work out sex chapters by using one I've already written and making it better or adding to it in different ways. On occasion, nothing much changes apart from names and how they do things.
> 
> In this case, it's the same kind of sex scene that's between Zack/Terra in [Can I Call You Mine?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20110291/chapters/47638642), but less teasing and far more loving.

_Until then_ had been almost three weeks since he and Zack had had gotten together, Leon being the old fashioned type of person that preferred getting to know the other and waiting before getting anywhere near sexual with his partner. _Not that he had any experience to compare it to as he hadn’t gotten that far in a relationship before. That wasn’t to say he was a virgin!_

Stirring to groggily find himself half-buried in his pillow with a heavy warmth pressed against his back and around his waist, Leon sighed softly into the overused cushion as his eyes slowly opened, weighted from his sleep. He reluctantly shifted under the heat blanketing him, tilting his head to take note of the time. It was still early, between the times the sun rose and the alarm sounded. He had time to laze around, half an hour to forty-five minutes.

Letting his lids fall closed again, the brunette curled back against the living heater behind him, finding comfort and on the verge of falling back to sleep. Though he’d always had enough discipline to stay awake and even sort out everything he needed before the alarm sounded, he’d found himself to be much laxer after Zack moved in for real, the man seemingly having this effect on him that made him want to stay in bed and take pleasure in being somewhat lazy until the very last second.

A deep hum resonated in his ear, vibrating along his throat from where the warm mouth rested between the crook of his neck and shoulder, feeling the pressure on his back shift and the arm around his waist furling and brushing its way up to his ribs and chest. He let a tired smile tug at the corner of his lips as his eyes gradually opened again, drifting to the corner of his sockets.

“Morning,” the former SEED murmured softly, smoothly and carefully turning himself over in the other mans’ hold until he was pressed chest to chest with the soldier, face to face with the hot breath ghosting the lower half of his face and neck.

“Ditto,” the other replied huskily without opening his eyes, lips pursing lazily in invitation and expectation, and without hesitance, Leon pressed his own to them. A simple morning kiss, feeling and hearing the content hum leave the other man, he brushed his fingers along the strong neck and up to his jaw, feeling the way he leaned into it and into him.

He sighed through his nose, tilting his head to let the kiss deepen and deepen, the hand around his back teasing his spine by carding the fingers up the centre from the small of his back to the point between his shoulder-blades.

Groaning softly into Zack’s lips, the man already taking control without a fight from him, Leon laced his arms around the others’ shoulders, locking his hand around his other wrist before the taller of the two laxly rolled them over until the brunette was on his back, the ravenette now above him and between his legs. He didn’t think much of it, having been in that position before on numerous occasions. _At least this time, he hadn’t been pinned._

Much like the few times before, Leon became pliant and putty-like as a hot tongue brushed between his lips and came into contact with his own, the muscles tangling and sliding against each other, drawing breath from their lungs and making it so they had to part, only to resume a second later. He lightly pressed and brushed up against the other's chest, both hands ghosting up the strong ribcage above him and feeling the weight get heavier against him as Zack leaned into him.

For much-needed oxygen, Leon reluctantly eased their lips apart, breath coming in fast. Glancing up through dazed eyes, he saw the heavy panting, tinted cheeks, glossy and wanton eyes that Zack adorned, the soldiers’ seemingly stuck in a momentary lapse in brain activity after he’d looked down at the former SEED. He looked lost, but definitely focused on him.

Gradually leaning up, he’d morphed his lips to Zack’s, feeling the warmth around them build the moment he began returning it, tongue an all. It felt more heated, more feeling evident in the way the ravenette appeared to want more of it. The other broke free of his mouth and move towards his jaw, Leon gasping softly as he mouthed his jawline and made his way to his neck, lips drawing at the skin and drawing gentle breaths from his lungs.

He felt the repeatedly placed open-mouthed kisses along his throat, his hot tongue running flatly from the centre of his collarbone to the point beneath his chin every so often, his neck craning.

At what he could only describe as a leisurely pace, the man above him planted kisses along his skin, a soft smile gracing Leon’s lips as he the mouth press an open kiss between his collarbones, pressing another slightly lower and another slightly, repeating the motion and continuing to descend between the cleft of his chest before lowering further in slow inches. He was lost in the delicacy, the comfort and warmth that build and spread from the point of each kiss. The attention was almost intoxicating.

He felt a kiss being placed along the centre of his ribcage, another down his strong stomach and abdomen, muscles tensing just slightly from all the touch while another was placed lower against his navel.

Kissing there again, seemingly against going any lower for the moment, he felt the press of his tongue against his heating skin, slowly drawing back up his waist and over the path he had kissed his way down, Leon’s spine arching up on reflex the higher he rose on his body. The brunettes’ soft pants leaving his chest, breathing heavier and stuttering slightly as the sensations stopped after the other reached his chest.

His mouth fell open, the former SEED trying to regain some form of sense to lift his head and glance down at the other, noting the smirk and lust-filled eyes gazing back at him. Leon reached down, fingers and thumb brushing the mans’ face, cupping his cheek and jawline before he drew him back into a hot and hefty kiss.

The moment they were aligned again, he left his legs being forced further apart, making way for the strong hips pressing down against him and drawing a deep groan from his chest, his legs hooking over the strong thighs. Only seconds later, he felt the rolling against his hips through their underwear, feeling him press against him and bite his tongue and then lip. He did it again, his stomach, as well as hips, rocking against the brunette. Unintentionally, his nails dug into the ravenettes’ ribs, his spine arching up against him as a feeling of static sparked through his waist and stomach.

With every movement, Leon could feel the heat building and burning inside him and making his underwear feel that much more confined. A hand roaming his waist thankfully drew his attention, fingers hooking the hem of his boxers as they reluctantly broke the kiss for air. He panted softly, feeling the itch under his skin, swelling in his naval.

Focusing on the soldier, he was just as dishevelled, pupils having taken over most of the Mako blue, mouth slightly agape while he breathed in quick and heavy pants, cheeks a few shades pinker. They couldn’t seem to hold off for a moment, Leon and Zack leaning in almost in unison to resume, mouths locking again while tongue danced and brushed, drawing stifled breaths and quiet, cut off groans. Warmth spread between them and heating the already hot room and burning skin.

Somewhere along the mind-fogging kissing, the brunette felt awkward shifting on the bed, eyes slowly blinking open to eye man while still heavily distracted. It was then that the movements eased, a second later feeling the hands on his waist, tugging at the underwear. Slowly breaking the kiss, he let his gaze fall between them, lips immediately attaching to his neck and shoulder.

Zack was naked, boxer kicked aside under the sheets and the soldier was de-clothing Leon, the fabric being eased down his thighs as he watched. Not only that, seeing the completely bare waist of the other man, his gaze grew slightly wider at the fact that he was entirely erect, _though that wasn’t to say that Leon wasn’t either._

In an attempt to help, his shift his waist, reaching a hand up to nudge the taller man to sit up, drawing a grumble from the soldier. With cooperation, Zack sat back on his heels while Leon kicked his own underwear off, the brunette dropping back against the pillow once that kerfuffle was out of the way. The soldier always seemed to make things hard for himself, though it was something endearing to the former SEED.

“How’d I get this lucky,” the much huskier voice caught his attention, Leon lifting his gaze to the heavily dilated blue eyes. He watched him, gazed at him as the other gazed back with so much warmth and heated want, still breathing a tad faster while kneeling between the brunettes’ thighs.

“Zack?” he called softly, no actual question or sentence following. He was mildly surprised by how deep his own voice had become. He didn’t the chance to think further on it as the other man gradually leaned back down between his legs, bodies brushing warmly with Zack’s hands cradling the sides of his head, mouths connecting gently, the ravenette pressing down against him and engulfing him in so much of himself that he couldn’t keep his eyes open.

His own hands rose, reaching around the strong yet curved waist to rest against his lower back where his fingers began brushing along his spine and soft skin, slowly raising and feeling Zack’s warm body completely press down against his own, skin to skin with nothing between them. It drew a shudder from him the moment their hips gently ground together, a soft groan crawling up his throat and into the other mouth.

Barely there a full five seconds, he’d felt their waists curve apart thanks to Zack’s shifting, body and mind faltering as he felt a hot hand wrap around him with what sounded like a higher-pitched moan breaking in his throat. His breath stuttered, muscles in that general area growing tense with the firm grasp.

He awkwardly swallowed with the mans’ lips still pressed against his, pelvis shifting as Zack started stroking with a slow but tight rhythm, already feeling as if he were intending to drive him crazy. His muscles tightened further, abdomen clenching and unclenching with every down and up-stroke.

Leon felt his own gradually deepening pants, his legs shifting against the taller man, the room heating up around him to the point he almost felt dizzy. The feeling only built as their bodies were aligned again, hand still slowly working him while Zack brushed and rubbed their firm torsos together, strong hips rocking against his.

A cracking gasp escaped his throat the moment he’d felt something incredibly hot brush between the seam of his cheeks, the other mans’ shaft sliding against his bare skin. Leon breathed heavily, groaning and shifting against the hand and erection, head dropping back against the mattress with his mouth open, eyes shut tight. He couldn’t concentrate, his ability to focus having been thrown aside much like their underwear.

He could feel everything, growing hyper-sensitive to each touch and kiss that was suddenly pressed against his throat, his neck craning as he drew at the skin, mouthing him and planting open-mouth kisses along the side. His breath caught in his throat, hitching every so often as Zack gradually started planting them further up, leading towards his jawline.

The drawn-out moment of ascending kisses and his lips were taken again, Leon returning it without hesitation, groaning against him and arching up into his body, spine curving in place the more he touched and stroked, feeling far weaker and at his mercy.

Even more so when it felt as though the other man had stopped teasing him and began pumping with enthusiasm, stroking faster and with more pressure while feeling the very faint wet droplets land on his tensed abdomen. He’d started leaking, panting harder. Reaching up to grip Zack by his shoulder, he throbbed in his hand, pulsating and twitching, squirming and gasping while rocking up into his hot palm and down against Zack’s even hotter shaft.

The heat getting to him from inside and out, only then actually feeling a light sweat reaching his skin, sparsely dotting his body as their movements gradually became faster, more erratic and needy. Static had him arching into the man as his lip had been lightly bit, the shakiest groan leaving him and going south immediately.

With more shifting and the bed feeling as if it were dipping too far, he gradually opened his eyes to see Zack leaning over the bed towards the bedside drawer, still working the brunette through a thorough stroking. He could feel it coming on, feeling the heat burning through his stomach and groin, sparking his nerves and sending his mind into a thickening fog.

He had to stop his hand before he released. That thought actually giving him a moment of concentration, he reached down, hand wrapping around the wrist with enough firmness that it halted the hands’ motion, a gasp leaving his throat along with some physical disappointment after not reaching the climax he really seriously wanted to.

“You okay?” glancing up at the unreadable expression, only unreadable due to his current state, he felt the bed dip against, Zack now leaning back over him with his grip still holding tight to his shaft, still motionless where Leon had stopped him.

“Not yet,” the brunette panted, trying to catch his breath and noting the change from unreadable to obvious glumness. It took him a moment to pick up on the situation, brows knitting as his eyes fell towards the lube and condom wrapper, “Not that, this,” Leon gestured to the hand around him, still short of breath and dazed for the most part.

He watched as the other man quirked a brow, eyes falling to the redheaded erection as solid as any other muscle belonging to the former SEED. Realization only then apparently dawned on him, his eyes growing wider and his hand slackening around him enough to reluctantly let go and give him a few seconds to calm himself down before he really did reach his point.

“Sorry, my bad,” the soldier grinned, the mood having flipped again. Leon had had no idea that the other man could look like a kicked puppy even during current events. It’d been both adorable and heavy on the brunettes’ heart, hoping that he wouldn’t be the cause of that kind of expression again. He enjoyed the whole _puppy_ thing that Zack had going on, but _kicked puppy_ wasn’t one of the expressions he liked.

With that said and done, Zack feeling no regret towards the fact that he’d almost been the cause of the brunettes’ _almost_ ejaculation, he rolled on the condom after tearing the wrapper, the bottle of lube still in hand. Uncapping, he spreading the cream over his fingers, his warm gaze dropping to the feverish expression Leon wore. Red cheeks, half-lidded glazed over eyes, a light sweat with hair framing his features. He was a sight to see, heavily affected by everything that the soldier had done up until that point.

With a soft smile and strained resolve to prepare the other before attacking, he lowered his hand and watched the mans’ face carefully as he pressed his fingers against the others hole, easing them inside and letting them sink as deep as they could before curling them against the inner walls.

He saw his eyes slowly close, bottom lip being drawn between his teeth to bite and hands gripping lightly at the sheets and his arm, his hold tight and shaky.

He started to pump his fingers in and out in smooth strokes, curling and twisting them when they were deep and splaying them apart on the way out. Leon’s body tensing a few times during his ministrations, the soldier felt him roll his hips softly with each stroke of his fingers, closing around them when he curled his digits here and there. The brunette started panting again, his voice lacing his breaths. He drew his fingers back, feeling him close around them softly before he added a third, pressing tighter against the warm insides.

The man beneath him squirmed and writhed as soon as he curled his digits again, messaging his walls and twisting his fingers carefully while he gazed down at him, almost dazed with how thick the heat and sounds were as they melted into the walls, bed and everything else in the room. He smiled softly at the other man, his ears focusing on the audible gasps and soft moans, the pressure still building between them.

He stroked a few more times, his pace getting only a fraction faster before the others’ waist arched, Leon pressing against him and clamping around his fingers, unable to stay still and even wrapped strong legs around his hips with a tight grip.

The sight was breathtaking, leaving Zack hot and with a fast heartbeat, so much so that he felt as though his heart would break a rib or two.

After a moment, he reluctantly pulled his hand back, feeling the other relax some as he withdrew. He lifted himself onto his heels and took a deep breath before glancing up towards Leon’s face, their gaze locking once he realized that he had been staring back at him, lust clear in his gaze and in his own.

He reached out for the bottle again and lathered himself quickly before he shifted to lean over the other man, his thighs spreading further apart. Planting a deep kiss against his lips, the brunette immediately returning it, he aligned himself and gradually pressed his hips forwards, feeling minimal pushback as the head of his shaft was smoothly inserted.

Zack carefully continued pressing his hips against the other, being slow and easy with him. He knew that he could take it, but they weren’t animals, nor did he want to hurt him, which was a factor if he wasn't careful. Men could be just as delicate as some women. _Not to say that Leon was. He was far from delicate and could probably take a lot more than even Zack could. Zack was probably a massive wuss in comparison._

Gazing down at the other and feeling the arms lacing his ribcage and neck, fingers threading through the long hair at the base of his neck and gripping, his own hands resting against the bed and under Leon’s neck. They were completely aligned, Zack sheathed as far as he could and the brunette holding on with his nails still dragging against skin. They were pressed together, wrapped entirely in each other’s warmth.

For a moment he stayed still, letting the other man adjust before he pulled his hips back slowly and then pressed them back in, feeling him close tighter around him and hook his legs along his upper thighs. He felt his heavy sigh against his lips as they brushed.

He did it again, pressing in as deep as he could and pulling back only to stroke back inside of Leon, hearing a repeat of his pant with an audible hint of his voice as his walls hugged him.

Zack pressed his mouth against his neck, kissing warmly and feeling him drop his head back against the pillow, waist arching against his as he continued thrusting slowly, rolling his pelvis smoothly. Warmth burned in the pit of his stomach and groin, having built over time and continued to do so, the bigger one of them gradually beginning to pick up the pace, thrusting a fraction faster and sliding deeper.

He heard his deep gasp, chest arching and Zack tilted his head to press his mouth to the collarbone, planting kiss after kiss there and feeling him arch continuously with his thrusts that only gradually got faster and deeper, slipping further in with every few strokes. The legs tightened over his hips, drawing his pelvis in closer and forcing him that much deeper, the gasps getting heavier and more vocal. Zack had been breathing heavily along with him, gasping as well when the other kept closing up around him, tensing and making it tighter and more pleasurable for him as well as for his bed mate.

Zack closed his eyes, his mouth still pressed against Leon’s neck, but open and panting against him with a knitted brow. Each strong and heavy rock and snap of his hips forced him to bury himself deep, the light sweat and lube shared between them making it easier to gain more speed, the man writhing and gasping beneath him, his nails stuck in his skin and dragging, drawing red lines.

He groaned deeply when he felt the brunettes’ lower waist lift every time he rolled forward, meeting him halfway and feeling the hard contact as he got faster and harder. They were both panting hard as the heat continued to build with each thrust, Zack’s hands gripping the sheets. Though not a moment later, Leon’s joined his, snaking up between them to dig his claws into his forearms and he shifted his own swiftly to the mans’, fingers entangling.

He opened his eyes and lifted his head to gaze at the others, watching as he gasped and arched his waist over and over, meeting him hard and fast, and then harder and faster. He lifted his head and brought their faces together, forehead to forehead where their eyes locked, Leon still gasping and before Zack could lean down to kiss him, he leaned up, butting their heads together and lips clashing in a strong, passionate kiss, mouths locked together tightly.

Hot sparks were shooting through his body, spreading and rushing through his veins, heat building and putting pressure on his groin with a knot tightening and tightening in the very base of his stomach, searing through him. He arched hard against the man and forced himself as deep as he could go, feeling the walls tighten up around him, Leon’s gasps turning into loud moans and short cries of pleasure, nails almost breaking his skin.

Zack felt too hot and all the built-up pressure it forced him over, his thrusts short and fast, but deep and heavy, bringing himself to his edge and he burst inside of his brother, inside the condom, a deep and lingering groan leaving his chest and vibrating through him. Leon tightened up around him, locking him in place and arching with a heavy and deep whine, white spurting from him and landing over his abdomen.

He absentmindedly continued to thrust through their highs of bliss with stinging pleasure even after their orgasms, but they were slow, soft, just simple.

Gradually coming to a stop and reluctantly forcing himself up onto all fours, Zack tried to catch his breath before gently pulling from inside of Leon. He gazed down at him from where he leaned above the other on his forearms, both panting harshly and deeply. He waited for a long moment, just simply watching him through their after-bliss, smiling softly as the other unwillingly opened his heavy hazed eyes to stare at him in return.

“_I’m_ the lucky one,” he watched as Leon chuckled softly, having barely been able to actually say it as his voice faltered halfway through, cracking and spent. He recalled what he’d said before, his rhetorical question that the brunette only then answered in their bliss.

“I’m luckier,” Zack replied after a moment, a smile engraved on his face as he leaned further over the other man and relaxed against him, foreheads pressing together with soft pants being shared between the two men.

“Don’t start a battle you can’t win,” the brunette then stated simply, seriousness to his tone but nowhere near. He could see and practically feel the amusement and almost playful air about him, something he rarely felt from this man unless it was after some physical play, like a deep make-out session or a lot of touching and handjobbing. _Basically, whenever he was spent and felt as if he’d had enough attention to completely fog his beautiful mind._

“Them’s fightin’ words,” Zack scoffed, enclosing the man in more before turning them onto their sides, holding the brunette closer and even ignoring the feel of the release smearing between. They had time to shower and even if they didn’t, Leon would make sure they did either way.

“Loser makes coffee,” humming in question, he drew himself from his momentary thought just in time to feel warm lips press against his own, mind instantly blanking as he felt the tongue slip passed his lips and ensnare his own, groaning gently and a little hungrily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you enjoyed this story and took pleasure in reading the build-up between the pairing. Thanks for joining me along the way or even from the start if you did.
> 
> Laters.


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